Tomorrow will come
by saresare
Summary: Post S3. Abby and Connor are trapped seventy-five million years in the past. They struggle with starvation, predation, exhaustion, unexpected visitors and most scarily their feelings, relying on the other to reguarly cheat death. Drama ensues.
1. Title

**»-(¯`v´¯)-»**

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TOMORROW WILL COME

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_by saresare_

Set after Season Three in the Cretaceous.

Abby and Connor are trapped seventy-five million years in the past. They struggle with starvation, predation, exhaustion, unexpected visitors and (most scarily) their feelings, relying on the other to survive and reguarly cheat death. Drama ensues.

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing.

**RATING:** T  
**Contains:** Violence, angst

**STATUS: **Finished.**  
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**SPOILERS:  
Major: **Episodes 1.6, 2.4, 3.3, 3.8, 3.10**_  
_Minor: **Episodes 2.2, 2.7, 3.6, 3.7


	2. Chapter 1

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter One

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Abby woke to the unfamiliar sounds of the Cretaceous. The birdsong was foreign and distorted, and mixed in with the cries of distant dinosaurs. The sun was just beginning to rise, with a few soft stripes lighting up the fork in the tree. She looked over at Connor. He had his head tilted on an angle up against the trunk, with an arm crossed over his face and the other dangling over the side. He twitched and grunted in his sleep.

A sudden bellow split the air. Abby turned around to see a creature crashing its way through the vegetation, trampling various shrubs and the sparse scattering of grass. It looked sort of like a giant armadillo, with a thick clubbed tail streaming out behind it. Jagged spikes lined its back and the sides of its face. Several gouges ran along its hide, blood pouring out of them. It was running haphazardly, slamming blindly into trees and hollering in pain. It was headed straight for the tree they were in.

"Connor! Connor, wake up!" Abby hissed, shaking him.

The dinosaur slammed into another tree and paused, shaking its massive head. Another creature burst out of the foliage, snarling and swinging its head in bloodlust. It was enormous, stalking toward its prey with swift bipedal movements. A huge fan of spines jutted out from its back and regressed up its neck, stopping where a long crocodile-like snout began. It opened its mouth to reveal a cavern of sharp bloodstained teeth. The first dinosaur bolted again, charging through the trees toward Abby and Connor, its tail flailing in terror.

Connor sat up suddenly, blinking the sleep from his eyes. "Abby, what's-"

Abby slammed her hand over his mouth. "Shh!" She indicated with her head. His eyes widened as he took in the sight, and she removed her hand. Sensing the sudden danger, he wrapped one arm around the trunk and grabbed Abby's hand with the other.

Before Abby could copy him, the ankylosaur stopped and spun around, crashing backward into the tree and making it tremble violently. Abby lost her footing and fell, grabbing hold of a branch with her free arm. Connor dug his heels into the bark and pulled her up, heaving with the effort. She clambered onto the trunk just as the second dinosaur approached.

The spinosaurus was just metres away, its eyes glistening malevolently. It was almost as tall as the tree they were in, and if it sensed them, wouldn't find it very hard to reach. Luckily it was too intent on its prey to notice.

The ankylosaur, in a desperate bid for survival, launched itself at its assailant, sweeping its tail around to land a nasty blow to the predator's neck. The spinosaurus rumbled in anger and swung its head to snap at the herbivore. The ankylosaur reared up, swiping with its front claws before turning and hitting the spinosaurus again. The carnivore stepped back, using its prey's protective bulk against it; the dinosaur was slow and weighed heavily with armour. As soon as the clubbed tail was out of striking distance again, the spinosaurus pounced and grasped the ankylosaur's neck, flipping it over and exposing its unprotected belly. The poor creature bellowed out in pain and panic.

Abby buried her face in Connor's chest, trying to block out the terrified screams of the animal as it was torn apart. Connor held her tightly, his arms draped over her back and his chin resting on her head. He kept his eyes on the predator, barely daring to breathe for fear of alerting it to their presence. Eventually it finished eating and lumbered away, its growls fading into the distance.

Connor exhaled, closing his eyes in relief momentarily. He nudged Abby, who lifted her head from his chest and peered down. Immediately she groaned in disgust and averted her gaze.

"Poor thing," she muttered.

"This place is definitely not safe for us," Connor said, scanning the area. He saw what appeared to be a cliff on the horizon. "If we can get up high enough, in a cave or something, we should be alright."

Abby nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "Yeah, sounds like a plan." There was a pause. "You can let go of me now."

Connor released her from his grip. "Sorry." He felt his cheeks flush, noticing the slight grin on Abby's face.

"So where to?" Abby asked.

"See the cliff over there?" he replied, pointing toward the rockface visible through the trees. "I reckon if there's a big enough indentation, or something, then we might be able to..." He stopped. Abby was staring down at the ankylosaur's mangled remains, her eyes glazed. "Abby, are you alright?"

She blinked and looked up at him. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking of Danny. He's all by himself, Connor. At least we have each other. He's all alone. I wonder where he is. Do you think he stopped Helen?" Her voice rose an octave, the trepidation obvious even though she tried to hide it.

"I'm sure he's fine," Connor assured, trying to convince himself as much as Abby. "We can look for him once we have shelter, eh? We need to find somewhere safe for ourselves, first. Then we can worry about the other stuff. We're no good to Danny if we become lunch."

"Yeah, you're probably right. We're still here, right? If Helen had succeeded, we'd be gone."

Connor hesitated. Oh, how he wanted to comfort her. He was about to lie when she picked up on his vacillation.

"What?" Abby stared at him. "We wouldn't exist," she insisted. "He must've stopped her."

He'd been wondering the same thing, and come to a conclusion that seemed logical, although not what either of them wanted to hear. "Well, you remember what Cutter said about that Claudia Brown thing?" Connor began.

Abby nodded, her eyes narrowed as she predicted what he was going to say.

"Well, he was in the Permian when the change happened. He was here…" Connor made a mark in the bark with his fingernail. "And we were here." He added another mark a few centimetres to the right of it. "The change was made here." He marked again, this time just a couple of millimetres to the right of the first one. "So everything beyond this point changed," he continued. "Whereas Cutter was here, so when he came back he wasn't affected, but we were."

Abby nodded again.

"This is basically the same. We're here. Danny and Helen are here… presumably. The present is here. If Helen makes a change here, then it affects beyond that point, but because we're millions of years before that we won't be affected. Neither would Danny." Connor finished explaining and watched for Abby's reaction. He was worried she'd take the news really hard.

"So you mean me, you, Helen and Danny could be the only humans in existence?" Abby whispered. "And we don't have a home to go back to? Even if we get back to the present there will be no one left!" Her voice was shrill and panicked. She looked on the verge of tears. "Oh my God, Connor!" she cried loudly.

A lump formed in Connor's throat. He rarely saw her cry – she shunted her feelings – but the distress was understandable. "Shhh," he murmured, wrapping her in a hug. "It'll be okay. That doesn't mean she succeeded. I'm sure Danny stopped her." He could feel her body wracking with sobs beneath him and felt his eyes sting with grief as well. "We'll find shelter, and then we'll find Danny, and then we'll find an anomaly and go home. It'll be fine. I promise."

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_I'm aiming to update at least once a week. Please review. Reviews equal motivation. :]_


	3. Chapter 2

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Two**

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He kept silent for several minutes before speaking again. "We should go."

Abby lifted her head up. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah. 'Course." She paused, seeing the worry and fear in Connor's dark eyes – fear for her. She remembered back to what he'd said as she dangled above the Mer creatures. It was painfully obvious he still felt the same, even if he acted as though it was cool between them. She looked away.

Slowly and carefully, they climbed down from the tree. Connor winced as he landed ungraciously on the ground, knocking his bad ankle. He fell, sprawled out on the carpet of wood needles with his foot throbbing in pain. "Ow."

Abby helped him up, biting her lip with anxiety. She pulled his arm around her shoulders and placed her arm around his waist. Together they hobbled through the trees toward the rockface, keeping their eyes and ears open for danger.

"I'm so sorry, Abby," Connor said. "It's my fault we're here. All because I unblocked my ears when the stun grenade went off. If it weren't for me, we'd be with Danny, helping him to stop Helen. If anything's happened I'll… I'll never forgive myself." The misery and dejection was clear. He blamed himself for everything. "You should of left me there."

"Connor!" Abby exclaimed, taken aback at his self-flagellation. "It's not your fault! Don't say that. Without you, we wouldn't have made it this far. Who got the computer working that told us where to go?" When he didn't respond, she nudged him with her shoulder. "Go on, tell me."

"Me," he replied half-heartedly.

"And who got the anomaly console to work?" she continued.

"Me."

"And who built the anomaly detector?"

"That would 'ave been me." He brightened slightly. "But, Abby, that was months ago. That has nothing to do with me falling out of the tree and stopping you from going with Danny."

"Shut up, I'm still talking," she said affably. "And who built the anomaly locker?"

"Um… me."

"And who saved me from the Mer creatures?"

He was quiet for a long time, before finally answering. "Me."

They walked on in silence. Connor stared straight ahead, letting his thoughts roam to over a year ago, to when he thought Abby had been killed by the giant future seals. The anguish he'd felt was unbearable; he'd just wanted the ground to swallow him and spare him the heartache. They'd been fighting, and the last things they said to each other were childish and mean. A second later she was gone, whisked out of his life. He'd been hysterical, and yelled angrily at everyone when they stopped looking. They'd sent him and his frantic pleas home. Luckily, Cutter had called him down later, begging him to make one final search in an abandoned building that Jenny had found.

They'd found Lucien and dragged him from the pipe, and he'd uttered the words that sent electric jolts through Connor's veins: Abby was alive. Screaming her name, Connor had sprinted away, and found her in another room. The relief was overwhelming, seeing her standing there. A Mer had risen from the water and was looming over her… Abby was yelling at him to get back, but he'd ignored her. All thoughts of his own safety were far from his mind; the only thing he could think of was getting her away from danger. He couldn't lose her again. It had flung him into the water, and when he managed to climb out, they were gone.

Determination gave him untold adrenaline, and he went through the anomaly, scrambling over a multitude of coastline rocks to find her trapped beneath the overhang with the Mer threateningly close. Relief coursed through him again as he saw her – still alive, but still in great peril. He'd thrown a rock to hinder the approach of one of the Mer, but the others were advancing. He had to get her out of there.

He'd shouted encouragement as she climbed the embankment, trying to keep his words steady. He grabbed her hand, using all his strength to lift her up. But there was no support for his weight, and she started slipping… He couldn't pull her up. He watched as the Mer creature got closer, his heart pounding with dread. She was so close to safety… so close… Her weight was pulling him over; he was inching closer to the edge. She begged him to let her go, so he didn't die as well. "Let me go!" she pleaded, the tears streaming down her face. "Please!"

"I can't," he'd cried. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, the fear of losing her overshadowing every other thought. She was his best friend. He would never let her go … even if it meant he die too.

"I love you!" he'd blurted out. He hadn't meant to say that. The crushing grief and fear of her dying oblivious to it had overwhelmed him, and it had slipped out uninvited.

His hands had given way, but just in time Cutter had arrived, pulling them both up as the Mer creature closed its jaws over the place Abby had been dangling half a second before. He remembered the embrace as they'd watched Cutter and Stephen shoot at the creature; the way she'd clung to him for support, as though he were her lifeline.

But then Lucien had called Connor her boyfriend. The venom in her voice as she replied, "he's not my boyfriend," cut through Connor like a knife. Anguish filled him at the thought of her being so derisive, and he'd scurried away before she could see the total despair in his eyes.

Later when they returned to their flat, Abby had brought it up. He'd tried to pass it off. It was obvious she didn't feel the same way – not even close. She despised the thought of being with him! It tore him apart inside as he shook his head, pretending it hadn't happened. She continued to stare at him expectantly, and he could have sworn he saw her eyes flash with a fleeting fervour. _I can't do this anymore, _he'd decided. _She has to know._

"Abby, I-"

Caroline had interrupted at the worst possible time. He'd closed his eyes in frustration as the unspoken words dissipated behind his lips. The chance was gone, and he'd probably never get it back. Abby had seemed … almost disappointed.

She hadn't made it any easier when she'd kissed him at the racetrack. She'd taken him completely by surprise, and he'd practically melted in her arms. After that he was floating, struck by pure bliss; Abby had kissed him! She'd finally, finally reciprocated his feelings, and his heart was full to bursting. The next time he saw her he couldn't stop smiling. He was so happy, so unbelievably ecstatic. Nothing could dampen it, nothing…

Except her taking it back.

A fresh wave of anguish washed through Connor as he reminisced. He made a soft choking sound and felt the tears prick his eyes.

"Are you okay, Connor? What's hurting?"

She sounded so far away. And she was. She had her arms around him, but no matter how physically close she was, she would always be distant, just out of Connor's reach. Nothing he did would ever open her eyes to see him as more than just a friend, but he'd never let her see how much she hurt him.

"Everything," he mumbled truthfully.

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_Okay, 62 people have opened up Chapter 1 and only 2 reviewed ... I can only assume that means 96.8% of people hate my work. :'( I have written eight chapters so far (chapter 8 is my favourite) and the speed of uploading will be directly proportional to the amount of reviews I get. I hope that's incentive enough to review :3 Thank you to duchessfaleen and XxbagpussxX for alerting and reviewing :D  
_

_P.S. I wanted to do a one-shot of Connor's feelings in the Mer episode, and then when I referred to it in this chapter I thought it would be better if I just integrated it into this story. Lots of angst for Connor at the moment; they don't get their happy ending for a while yet ;)_


	4. Chapter 3

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Three

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"Do you need to sit down?" Abby asked gently.

"No, I'm fine. We need to get to the rocks," Connor insisted.

After an hour or two, they came across a small stream that offered a source of much needed water. They took the opportunity to satiate their thirst and fill their canteens.

They reached the rockface as the sun reached its highest point in the sky. It glared down on them with relentless heat, and their skin warmed uncomfortably. They stood staring up at the precipice, shielding their eyes with their hands.

"What now?" Abby queried.

Connor didn't answer right away, instead scanning the cliff for any sign of a cave. He saw what appeared to be an indented overhang, and pointed toward it. "Look, we could use that. It's steep but still climbable. We'd be pretty safe in there… Well, as safe as you can get stuck in the Cretaceous."

"How are you going to get up there with a sprained ankle?" Abby asked, surveying Connor's leg. She looked up and he caught her eye; they were sparkling with concern.

"Easy," Connor lied, flashing her one of his lopsided, dimpled grins.

Her lips quirked up in a weak smile.

She took his hand in hers and they scaled the crag together. It was slow and clumsy, and the jutting rocks dug into their hands and left tiny stinging cuts, but eventually they managed to heave themselves up.

It wasn't exactly a cave, but it was the best shelter they were likely to find. The rockface smoothed out to a predominantly flat surface, littered with sharp pebbles and rotting vegetation. An outcrop above the area acted as the ceiling and side walls. It was just wide enough to allow them to lie down and deep enough to offer protection from the weather. The height also gave them a fantastic view of the surrounding area, meaning they could scout for approaching animals and anomalies.

Connor limped inside the 'cave' and slumped down, leaning his back against the wall. "Perfect," he beamed. "I'll just call up room service and ask them for their finest champagne."

Abby laughed and sat down beside him. "All right, let's look at your foot," she said, hoisting his leg up onto her lap. She yanked off his shoes and pulled the sleeve of his pants up to expose his swollen ankle.

"Ow," Connor complained, flinching as she touched it. "Be careful with that."

"You big baby," Abby chided good-naturedly. She leant over to inspect it more closely, then reached for her canteen. "There are a few scratches that look pretty nasty, and it's really red. I'm going to clean it out and then we'll bandage you up. Hopefully it should be good to walk on by tomorrow morning." She splashed some water onto the lesions and scrubbed the dirt away with her fingers.

Connor rested his head against the cave wall and closed his eyes. He smiled. "I'm glad that, of all the people to get stuck here with, it was you, Abby."

There were a few seconds of silence before Abby replied. "Yeah, I'm glad I got stuck with you too, Conn."

Connor opened one eye and watched her, unable to hide the smile lingering on his lips. She sounded sincere enough.

Abby rifled through the backpacks and found the small medical kit. She hoped that Danny didn't need it, wherever he was. She sprayed the wound with the tiny bottle of antiseptic and then swathed it tightly in gauze. Connor flinched as it stung, but didn't say anything.

"Thanks, Abby," Connor said. "I'd be lost without you."

"Yeah, you would," Abby agreed jovially. She nestled her cheek on Connor's shoulder. Abby was exhausted from walking so far, but she knew Connor would be much more worn out. "We can rest here for a while." She closed her eyes.

"Mmm," Connor mumbled. "We should make a list of things we need to do."

"This place is gross. We should clean it out."

"Kind of smells like my Gran's," Connor quipped.

Abby sniggered. "We also need to secure the cave. A raptor could easily get up here."

Connor opened his eyes and realised she was right. Despite the high vantage point and rather sheer incline, a hungry creature could be inside in a matter of minutes, leaving them trapped and defenceless. He furrowed his brow, contemplating how they could minimize the risk.

"If we sharpened enough sticks we could line the opening and use them as a barricade," he suggested.

"Great idea, Connor," Abby advocated. "But we need sticks and something to sharpen them with."

Connor unzipped his backpack and scrutinized the contents. He delved inside and pulled out a penknife. "Thank you, Becker."

Abby smiled. "If you stay up here and keep a lookout, I'll go down and get some branches."

"No, Abby," Connor protested. "I'm not letting you go by yourself. What if the spinosaurus comes back?"

They locked eyes for a moment, mutual anxiety passing between them. "That's why you keep watch. You can see a far bit from up here. Call to me if there's any danger and I'll come straight back up. Honestly, Conn, you're no use down there. If a dinosaur did come, you'd have no chance with that leg of yours. It's safer for both of us if you keep watch."

Connor opened his mouth to retort, but stopped. She had a good point. He was pretty useless at the moment, all because he was stupid enough to fall out of the tree. He sighed. "Okay."

Abby pecked him on the cheek and scurried to the mouth of the cave. "Be back soon. Yell out if there's anything nearby." She made her way carefully down the slope, more sliding then climbing. It was much harder getting down than it was getting up. She reached the bottom and looked up to see Connor at the entrance, scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. She knew he'd take his sentry duty seriously. He would never let her down and she trusted him with her life.

She walked further into the trees, making sure she was still within Connor's sight. The twigs that covered the ground were thin and brittle. "Of all the eras to get stuck in, it had to be this one," she moaned to herself. As she continued her search, her thoughts drifted to Danny. Where was he? Was he somewhere in the Cretaceous, or was he in the Pliocene? Had he made it back home? Was there even a home to make it back to? Was he… even alive?

She came across a tree that sported a few long, thick branches that were low enough for her to reach. It would be hard removing them, though. She aimed a vicious kick at the branch, striking it a few centimetres away from the section where it merged with the trunk. It trembled and dislodged slightly, but remained firmly fixed to the tree. She kept kicking it until it finally snapped and fell to the ground. She crouched against the tree, panting. She was tired, and wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest. Her muscles were screaming in protest, but she continued on, kicking down the second branch. They were heavy and she doubted she'd be able to drag more than two up the rockface.

Connor waved excitedly when he saw Abby emerge from the trees, hauling the two good-sized boughs behind her. They used a coil of rope from the survival packs to lug them up the incline.

Connor's face was plastered with delight as he inspected the branches, but the smile quickly faded. Abby was lying spread-eagle on the cave floor, panting heavily. He placed a hand against her cheek; she was clammy, and her skin was chalky pale.

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_Because of the time difference, everyone reviews really early in the morning. I wake up to my phone flashing with FF emails, and get a lovely muse breakfast in bed. It's great, so I'm feeling generous today and uploaded the third chapter. Big thanks to duchessfaleen, XxbagpussxX, .Love and dtibor for making my morning. :D_

_Cookies for anyone who guesses Abby's illness correctly.  
_


	5. Chapter 4

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Four

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Abby stared up at Connor. She was aware of her surroundings and could see his face above her, albeit it was blurry. Her skin was burning, faintly at first, but then aggressing to a discerning sear. Nausea bubbled in her throat, but when she let out a series of aggrieved coughs to try and spit it up, nothing happened. Her muscles were aching, her head was throbbing and she could feel the sweat soaking her clothes through.

"I feel sick," she admitted.

Connor slid his arms underneath hers and dragged her further inside, to the shadiest and hence coolest part of the cave. He pushed a backpack under her legs to raise them and shed his jacket to pillow her head. "Its okay, Abby," he said. "I think you have heat exhaustion." His voice was strained; he tried to sound nonchalant but they were seventy-five million years away from the nearest hospital, and he knew that if it progressed to heatstroke it could turn fatal.

He pulled off her jacket and shirt, then tugged off her boots, socks and jeans. She was clad in just her singlet and knickers; nothing dramatic - that was standard attire for walking around the flat. He removed his own singlet, soaking it carefully with water from his canteen, and placed it over her forehead. He pressed the canteen to her lips and coaxed her to drink a few mouthfuls. There wasn't really much more he could do, so he took her hand in his and offered words of confidence.

Abby felt a lot cooler than she had moments ago; the wet singlet and slight breeze against her bare skin was helping. She managed a grin as Connor rambled on about nothing in particular, trying to make her feel better. Her left hand was still hot, the hand that Connor held, but she didn't have any inclination of removing it.

"How are you feeling?" Connor asked fretfully. Try as he might, he couldn't get rid of the anxiety. He touched her skin with the back of his hand – the sweat was receding and she had some colour back in her cheeks.

"A lot better," she answered. "Thank you."

He laughed in relief.

"The sticks," she interjected.

"Don't worry," Connor asserted. "I'll get right on it."

He shuffled over to where the boughs were. The heat faded instantly from Abby's hand; a little too quickly. For a moment she watched as he examined the boughs, turning them over to find the best place to sharpen. He'd changed so much in the last three years, from the bumbling, nerdy boy he had been when they'd first met… He was still bumbling and nerdy, but he applied his intelligence far more effectively, and there was an air of maturity about him. He'd stopped the clumsy flirting with her, and seemed resigned to the strangled friendship between them. When she was honest with herself, he was the sweetest, most caring and endearing person she'd ever met. She didn't know why she kept shunting her feelings (and his for that matter), or why she kept pushing him away…

She closed her eyes and inconspicuously hit her head against the floor of the cave, but was cushioned by Connor's jacket. _Stop it_, she chastised herself.

Connor hacked away at the first bough with the penknife. The blade was small and gauche, and it hurt his wrist as he scythed the wood. _If only we had a machete._ Tiny splinters fluttered around him and irritated his skin, but he ignored it. He had to get the barricade up before some hungry carnivore realised they were there. They only had two branches – he estimated that they'd need at least ten for an effective obstacle. He was hungry and tired but safety was the first priority; they could survive more than a week without food and the fickle stream would serve as a water source for now. He was glad that he could do something useful while Abby recovered, even if he was making a right mess of it.

Eventually he fashioned one end of the bough into a point. It was rough and not very sharp, but he figured that later he could modify it with some stones. He pushed it aside and began work on the other one. Abby joined him, convalesced and feeling better. She noticed his hands – his fingerless gloves were burdened with shards of wood, and had brunt the worst of it, but his bare fingers were sporting multiple lacerations.

"Connor!" She grabbed his right hand and held it up so he could see the damage. "Look at your hands."

"I have to get this done, Abby," Connor insisted. "We need something to block the entrance to the cave. We can't fret about every little bruise. We're gonna get bruises."

"That's not a bruise, Connor."

"Please, Abby. I need to get this done," he repeated. He would suffer unanesthetised amputation if it meant ensuring their safety – _her_ safety.

Abby knew that. She sighed. "Okay." She planned to attack him with the medical kit that night, when there was no backing down. Butchering and overexerting himself would do neither of them any good. "How many sticks do you think we'll need?"

"'Bout a dozen. Ten, at least."

"I'll go get us some more, yeah?"

Connor looked up at her, shocked. "You're not going anywhere! You could of died. You need to rest."

"It was just heat exhaustion, Connor." Abby was already pulling on her boots. "If it makes you feel better, I'll stay in my underwear."

"That's not funny." He stood up and grabbed hold of her arm, wincing slightly as his foot almost buckled. "What if you got heartstroke down there, eh? You're hardly one to confess when you're not well. An' I'm not really able to carry you back up here."

Abby pursed her lips. She knew Connor was just being Connor, but she was perfectly capable of looking after herself. "Connor, I'm fine, really. I _promise_ that I will come back if anything happens. As long as you promise to keep a lookout again."

They continued to stare at each other. They needed more branches; Connor knew that. He also knew that if he forced her to stay, they would remain unprotected for at least another day. It was rational for her to gather more wood while he worked. They would both need to take unwanted risks if they were to survive; he was just terrified for her safety and couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her.

Eventually he nodded. "Okay." He moved the bough over to the edge of the precipice so that he could work and sentry at the same time. "Just… be careful, yeah?"

"Honestly, Connor," Abby jested. "Anyone would think you were worried about me."

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_I kind of threw my original 'once a week' goal out the window, didn't I? :P  
Thankyou to all my lovely reviewers :D And half a cookie to XxbagpussxX for guessing.  
Oh look, a button _↘ _maybe you should press it :P  
_


	6. Chapter 5

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Five

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By nightfall they had half the barricade complete. They had both worked tirelessly to get the ends cut, then done a fair amount of digging and earth shifting to place the boughs. It was strong enough to hopefully deter a large predator, but smaller animals – such as raptors – would be able to slip through unhindered. They planned to finish it the next day, as soon as light broke.

Abby had cleaned Connor's abrasions, which by then were sprouting angry blisters. She'd wanted to bandage them but Connor had pointed out that they'd probably need the gauze for more serious injuries later, and that it was unnecessary. After a short quarrel, Abby had reluctantly agreed. They hadn't had time to make a fire, so they were huddling together for warmth – something Abby found quite amusing, bringing up the memory of Connor suggesting it three years ago in the New Forest.

They had a clear view of the skyline from where they sat in the cave, only the skyscrapers were replaced by an array of trees, and there was no pollution to blot out the night sky. The stars were twinkling unblemished in the thousands, joining forces with the moon to cast the land in a soft silver patina. Aside from the distant clatter of Cretaceous fauna, it was quiet.

"It's beautiful," Abby whispered. She laid her head against his shoulder and sighed, gazing contently at the sky.

It took a conscious effort for Connor to remember where they were, and that they weren't just camping on some mountain somewhere at home. The danger was very real, and tiny icicles of fear pricked his skin whenever he imagined Abby hurt – lost in the jaws of a tyrannosaur or torn apart by raptors. He swallowed the accumulating dread that formed in the back of his throat. They were safe for now at least, and maybe he could enjoy this wonderful serene moment with Abby.

xxx

The sun slashed through the cordon of boughs, streaking the cave in light. Connor opened his eyes, blinking away the brightness. Abby was slouched beside him, her head still resting on his shoulder and her arm draped casually around his waist. Her chest rose and fell softly as she breathed. Connor marvelled at how peaceful she looked, and found himself watching her. His eyes travelled from her hair – dirty and dishevelled from trekking through prehistory – to her closed eyes, which were fluttering slightly. Her mascara had left infinitesimal stains around her eyes, dotting her skin like tiny freckles. Her makeup had receded significantly, worn away from two laborious and strenuous days. He concluded that he liked her better without the makeup; she looked more natural. He continued down her face, past her nose and rose-tinted cheeks, to her lips. They were twitching discreetly.

He wondered what she was dreaming about.

He sighed and buried his head in his hands. It was shredding him into pieces. Would the constant disappointment and frustration and pain ever go away? Would it ever stop burning and tearing and wrenching at his heart?

_"Oh God no, as if!"_

The contempt in her voice as she'd spat those words to Caroline had eaten away at him, gnawed a hole inside of him. What _was_ it she was so adamant on avoiding? What gave her such a bitter tongue, that she had to repeatedly insult and shun him in the face of affection?

Why did it have to _HURT SO MUCH_?

"Connor?"

Suddenly Abby was in front of him, her pastel blue eyes wide in shock. "Connor, why are you crying?"

Oh no. He hadn't realised. He unclenched his fists and wiped at the involuntary puffiness that had settled around his eyes. "Nothing, nothing," he murmured, feigning interest in the back of his hands. "S'okay."

Abby narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Tell me, Conn." After a moment of unanswered silence, she said, much more gently, "Are you scared?"

Connor looked up at her, irked. He was about to retort when he saw the trepidation and understanding in her eyes. She was scared too.

"'Lil bit, yeah." It was true – he was petrified, so he wasn't exactly lying… just evading the original question.

"Me, too," she admitted. He knew it was hard for her to confess; she hated seeming weak, and didn't like people to know she was just as human as the rest of the world. "But we'll get through this," she continued. "We've been through so much together, haven't we? And we've made it through everything. You _can_ do this, yeah."

Connor stared at her, delved into her eyes, her expression. Searching for hope, for clarity. For something, anything.

"_Be confident. If you love Abby, tell her."_

Stephen was right. He had to tell her. She had to know. And _he_ had to know _why_.

"Abby…"

He could do this. He could.

"…you're right. I better get up; we got a busy day, eh?"

No he couldn't.

xxx

Another day had passed.

Connor's foot was still sore and he was inept at running, but the swelling had gone down and he could walk almost normally.

Luckily, the dinosaurs hadn't caused too much trouble. Abby had been chased by a couple of overzealous velociraptors, but Connor had managed to send them scurrying by pelting them with rocks. They'd also seen the spinosaurus sparring with a tyrannosaur from the cave, but they'd monitored the fight unnoticed; the altitude appeared to hide their scent effectively, for which they were grateful.

They'd finished the barricade, leaving a gap at the end just wide enough for them to squeeze through. The boughs were irregular shapes and sizes and angles, the tips were gallingly blunt, the view they'd had the first night was obstructed, and jagged shards of wood clung to their clothes when they brushed against it, but it did its job. They rammed against them, testing the strength. The boughs moved in their post and shuddered, but nonetheless held reasonably firm. In the event of a serious predator incursion, it would give them at least a few minutes to react.

The tiny stream they'd been using for water was rapidly shrinking and would be gone altogether in a couple of days. They could see a larger body of water from the cave – a small river by the looks of it – but it was a far hike away, at least an hour's walk. If they had to travel that far just for a drink, on top of hunting and gathering and the ubiquitous fear niggling at them, they wouldn't last too long. But once the stream evaporated completely, they would have no choice. Connor had proposed that, if they were able to carry and store water somehow, they would only need to make the trip every few days.

They hadn't eaten anything since becoming trapped, and still had no fire; their first priority had been erecting the barricade and securing their makeshift home. They'd managed to clean the cave out, removing all the debris and tendrils and aggravating stones, leaving a coarse plane of dirt and rubble.

They needed to find a steady food source and something to transport water, establish a fire, gather bedding materials and build basic tools – as well as search for Danny and anomalies.

"This wasn't in the job description," Connor bantered as they settled down for another cold, uncomfortable night in the Cretaceous.

* * *

_Sorry for the boring chapter; I have to get the survival stuff out of the way first, but if you hold on until chapter eight it will be worth it, I promise :D_


	7. Chapter 6

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Six

* * *

**

Abby resented the idea of killing the animals for food; she loved reptiles, and once had stood against Sir William's sword to save a dracorex. But she knew they had to if they were to survive, so she resigned to nagging Connor to make it as painless as possible.

Connor didn't have the first clue when it came to hunting. Like always, his genius presented dozens of schemes that could have them feasting by nightfall. The problem was the lack of tools and resources – they had no net or gun or anything else that could be used without proximity.

"We have at least another week before we die of hunger," Connor said optimistically, "so we're bound to have worked summin' out by then."

Despite the generous timeframe, they were both starving and likely to do something stupid if they didn't eat soon. Even if they weren't at death's door yet, the famine still affected them; they were slower and weaker, had difficulty concentrating, and had shorter tempers.

There was adhesive tape in the medical kit, so Connor used that to attach the penknife to the end of a sturdy, elongated stick. The spear looked pitiful, but it was the best he could do; the blade would inflict heavier wounds than a sharpened point could and theoretically be more efficient at bringing down animals.

"Abby, I have an idea," Connor put forward. "Promise me you won't get angry."

Abby raised an eyebrow apprehensively.

"Well… if a predator thought I was injured it would come over and try to eat me. Close enough to stab."

Her eyes widened irately. "You're gonna smorgasbord yourself? Are you _daft_?"

"A bit, yeah," he quipped. "Well how else we gonna do it, eh? It's a lot easier than stalking or ambushing. I reckon them raptors that chased you yesterday would still be close by. Might get a bit of karma over 'em, yeah?" He was grinning, reassuring himself that acting as bait would pay off.

Abby exhaled through her teeth, peering up at Connor through her lashes as though he'd grown an extra head. He was unbelievably clever when he wanted to be, and she could see the determination on his face and in the contusions enveloping his body. He wasn't an idiot. He had his dumb moments (like accidentally shooting her with a tranquiliser) but Abby knew she could trust him. He was right – stalking for extended periods of time made them vulnerable to larger predators and fatigue, as well as bidding a low success rate. And ambushing wasn't exactly feasible. The herbivores were too large and dangerous to go after, and the little mammals were agile and difficult to outmanoeuvre. Hunting small predators seemed a logical choice, as they were easily lured - provided they were careful.

"And how would this idea work, exactly?"

"I'll wander around, yelling out like I'm in pain. When I see them, I'll roll around a bit and look hurt, so they come over. When they're close enough, _bam_, I spear one of 'em. It won't know what's hit it."

Abby considered the proposal. It would be risky. "What about the other raptor?" she asked.

"Improvisation."

"_Improvisation_? Connor, if you think I'm going to agree to you going down there and getting cornered by at least two hungry raptors when you don't even know what you're doing, you're an idiot."

"You stay up here and watch; I don't fancy a T-Rex taking the bait. Call out if you see unwanted attention," he continued, ignoring her barbs. He walked over to the edge of the cave and scanned the landscape below, searching for a potential target. He spotted the two velociraptors; they were squabbling at an outcrop adjacent to the stream, which had retreated into a tiny trickle. He noted the tyrannosaur in the distance, crouching near the river, but couldn't see any immediate threats.

He made to exit the cave, but Abby grabbed his arm. He turned around, expecting a heated argument, but was shocked to see her just standing there, staring up at him with uncensored panic in her eyes. "If you're going, so am I," she demanded. "I'm not letting you risk your life alone."

Connor gritted his teeth. "It's too dangerous, Abby."

"Exactly," she hissed. Her eyes shone with a fortitude he hadn't seen before.

Abby was putting her foot down. She'd lived and worked with Connor for three years, and he was always endangering himself for her. She'd lost count of how many times he'd saved her life; cheating death seemed to be a regular pastime for both of them.

"We do this together," she upheld.

Connor sought words that could convince her otherwise, but the resolution in her stance and the impetus in her gaze stopped him.

He nodded.

Reiterating the scan to make sure the only carnivores in the area were the raptors, Connor and Abby descended the precipice and made their way to the stream. They paused at the edge of the trees, cautiously watching the raptors. They'd stopped quarrelling and were moving around inside the den-like groove underneath the outcrop.

"I think we might scare them away if we both go out there," Connor whispered. "You can be the back-up, yeah?"

Abby rolled her eyes. "Fine. And I'll save your butt if I have to."

Connor's lips twitched as he repressed a grin. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled, building up the confidence to take on the theropods. He burst out from behind the tree, hitting the ground and waving his right arm about dramatically.

"Oh, my arm!" he yelled. "Ow, my arm, I think it's broken! I hope there's no raptors around!"

As expected, the raptors exploded from the den, their heads gesticulating angrily. They were around the height of a child, and sported brilliantly coloured feathers from their head and along the length of their forelimbs. They gnashed their teeth and flexed their dew claws, clearly offended by the intrusion. Connor gripped the spear tightly, his knuckles turning white. The raptors advanced, closing the gap between them.

Suddenly the raptors flicked their heads up, sensing something they deemed more interesting. Connor's heart sank; they'd smelt Abby. He spun around to meet her alarmed expression as they veered away and launched at her. He scrambled to his feet, bellowing at the animals in an attempt to get their attention.

Abby smacked one of the raptors in the throat with the end of her boot. It fell back, recoiling in pain and cawed miserably. Abby swallowed back her empathy; she didn't want to hurt them, but she had no choice. If they were to live primeval, they had to suck it up and do the dirty work. The other raptor, livid now, sprung forward to avenge its mate's suffering. Abby didn't have the time to aim another kick, and braced herself for the onslaught.

Connor reached them and drove the spear forward, impaling the raptor through the chest. The stick snapped, embedding the knife inside. The raptor emitted a bloodcurdling scream; a mixture of horror and agony and rage and defiance. It collapsed, its dead eyes staring up at Connor in defeat.

"Piece a cake, eh?" he said.

Abby dropped to her knees, the tears shuddering behind her eyelids. She gaped at the raptor's body, then at her hands – her blood splattered hands. "We killed it, Connor!" she cried, pointing furiously at the offending spear. "What the hell are we doing killing the animals we're supposed to protect!" She jumped up, about to continue her seethe, when a strangled hiss interrupted her.

Connor and Abby turned to see the surviving raptor stalk toward them. Its eyes glittered angrily; it wanted revenge for its dead mate.

* * *

_All the Cretaceous stories I've read make Connor brilliant at survival 101, and I always wonder if this is the same Connor who was complaining to Stephen in S1E1 about his hatred of the outdoors and his 'allergies'? So here's nerdy Connor being hopeless at anything non-nerdy. :D And the dracorex episode makes clear how much Abby cares about reptiles - I cannot imagine Abby being indifferent to killing them! So here's some rather pointless drama and some Abby breakdown.  
_

_Remember to review! :3  
_


	8. Chapter 7

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Seven

* * *

**

The raptor made a gurgling sound, unable to manage a proper growl after being scissor-kicked in the throat. It glared at Connor and Abby, the hatred clear on its injured face. It sized them up. It craved vengeance, but it knew it was outmatched. With an angry hiss, it dashed away.

Abby hurled a punch at the tree. A shard of bark broke off and punctured her hand, but she barely noticed. Connor grabbed her arms to stop her hitting it again and held her to him. "Stop it Abby!" he pleaded. "Hurting yourself is _not going to solve anything_!"

"I can't do this, Connor! I can't!"

She was yelling so loud Connor was worried that the tyrannosaur would hear and come to investigate.

"Shhh. Yes you can, Abby. You're the strongest person I know, you can do anything."

She didn't reply.

"Come on, Abby," Connor said. "What else can we do? We have to eat."

"Isn't there fruit or something?" she asked.

"Angiosperms – flowering plants – have only just begun to evolve," he explained. "There might be some over by the river; the vegetation is a lot thicker and greener there. But we still have to be careful there's nothing poisonous. There's probably some fish in the river too, but most aquatic life in the late Cretaceous was marine, so I don't really know what we'll find. But we gotta go over there for water, eh? We can have a looksee?"

Abby nodded.

"But we got this raptor here, we don't want him to go to waste, yeah?" he continued.

Abby frowned but nodded again. "Yeah, sorry. I just … I'm not a killer. I can't …"

"I know, Abby, I know you're not. But we gotta survive out here, we gotta do stuff we're not gonna be proud of."

Abby sighed and leant her forehead against Connor's chest. "Yeah," she murmured.

Connor let go of Abby tentatively and turned to the body they still had to make edible. His stomach churned at the thought of plucking and skinning it – he was an indoor computer geek, he just didn't do _Survivor_. "We gotta do it here so the cave doesn't smell and attract summin." Crouching down, he grasped the base of the stick and yanked as hard as he could; it slid out of the raptor in a gush of crimson. The knife was soaked in blood and pieces of tissue. He groaned in revulsion but asphyxiated the nausea in his gut and did what he had to do.

xxx

They cooked chunks of the meat over the fire Abby had started, satiating the voracious hunger than had clouted them for the past four days. It tasted pretty awful, but neither of them cared – it was food.

On the way back, Connor had discovered a large fern-like plant. The leaves were broad and curved inwards to form a deep furrow that travelled along the length of the leaf to a thick, hollow stem. After eating, he and Abby used the penknife to slash off a few stalks and carried them back to the cave to look at. If they blocked the opening at the bottom of the stem and strengthened the outside it could serve as a canister.

Abby rummaged around in the medical kit. "Dammit! There's no sutures in here. We can't stitch it together." She scowled at the kit. "Too bad we don't have any weaver ants."

"Why?"

"The larvae produce adhesive silk. The workers use it to glue the nests together," she explained.

Connor made a thoughtful humming noise. "Ants emerged mid-Cretaceous. They aren't that common at the moment, but a lot of the prehistoric species are virtually the same as they are in the present."

Abby gaped at Connor. "They have weaver ants here?"

"Maybe," Connor said. "But I seriously doubt we'd find any."

Abby snorted in frustration. "Shame."

They'd also found some plumy grasses which they'd collected and assembled to form a cushioning for the cave floor. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but at least they could lie down now to sleep. Abby sprawled out on the bed and stared up at the roof of the cave, pondering what to do.

"Any ideas, genius?" she asked.

"I'm thinking, Abby, I'm thinking." Connor ogled the stalks, annoyed. He was a whiz at working out anything technical, but this wasn't a computer, it was a plant. The goddamn plant that _could_ provide sustenance… if only he could…

A light bulb flickered. He grabbed one of the backpacks and emptied the contents. Abby watched him curiously as he took the penknife and methodically cut the leaves, placing them in the backpack. When he finished he stood back and admired his work. Abby crawled over and peered inside. The inside of the bag was lined with a couple of the leaves, wrapped tightly around each other to hold firm. The adjoining stems were crushed against the outside, the bottoms pointing upward so that nothing could leak out. He'd pretty much just waterproofed the backpack.

"Let's see if it works, eh?" Connor was grinning.

They travelled to the stream – or what was left of it. It was impossible to drink from now, as it had retreated into a muddy line. But it could still be used to test Connor's innovation. He held it underneath a rock as the brown water cascaded slowly into it. After a few minutes, he held the bag up. It dripped, but only faintly.

"Success!"

Abby and Connor high-fived. They emptied the bag, went back to the cave, and repeated the same technique on the other backpack. Together they could hold at least ten litres of water. By the time they finished, the sun was sinking low in the sky, but daylight still offered them uninterrupted vision, and they explored the options for their next task.

"Alright, we need something for fishing, yeah?" Connor said. "We could use the thread from some of our clothes, and make a line. Attach something sharp and put meat on the end. Might work."

"I wish we had a net," Abby grumbled.

xxx

They hiked to the river the next morning, having repaired the spear. They'd fashioned a fishing line out of twine and tree barbs. The journey was long and arduous, as their canteens were empty and the sun was inexorable; not to mention the constant fear and vigilance sending them gradually insane.

After at least an hour of trekking, they emerged at the riverside. It was several metres wide and offered a steady current of clear water, and was flanked by rich green flora. A family of herbivorous hadrosaurs were drinking on the other side, and in the distance they could see an expanse of grassland, where triceratops grazed lazily. There was no sign of predators for now, so they quenched their dehydration and filled the backpacks, hanging them on some low-lying branches to stop the water from spilling out.

"Abby, look!" Connor pointed, noticing a brown flicker in the water. A scaly tail was disappearing behind a rock. The water was fairly shallow where they were, only about a metre deep; they had a good chance of catching something to eat.

"And this," Abby added. Connor turned and saw a bush blooming with luminous white flowers, and below them were a number of small orange berries.

Connor punched the air triumphantly. "I like this place."

* * *

_Oh no! Education! :P I learn more from researching for my fanfics than I do from my biology teacher (and we're studying evolution)!_

_Next chapter the plot thickens and the excitement begins! XD The expected chapter amount is 16-17 at the moment._

_Please review. It doesn't take that long to do and it makes my day! :)_


	9. Chapter 8

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Eight**

**

* * *

**

After consuming a minute trial bite of the orange berry, they'd determined that it was poisonous, but they had later found a tree that presented them with safe yellow fruit, which resembled a cross between a banana and an apple. It was astringent but allowed them some vital plant matter in their diet. They frequently caught fish, coarse fleshy things with appendages more like flippers than fins. Though ostensibly undignified, they'd also discovered deposits of algae on some of the river rocks, and had scraped it off to 'season' the fish. Fortunately it was harmless, and although it tasted like grit, if it was anything like modern spirulina it would greatly boost their vitamin and mineral intake.

They'd scoured the soil for tubers and root vegetables but had had no luck unearthing anything edible. Although the river's small bounty had reduced the necessity for hunting, they still killed the occasional animal in order to substantiate their meagre caloric intake. They'd slaughtered the velociraptor's mate (much to Abby's distress) and found her eggs beneath the outcrop; they'd also hunted several shrew-like mammals, some grubs and worms, and a couple of hesperornis, and cautiously scavenged the remains of kills made by other predators.

Escaping and hiding from deinonychus, tyrannosaurs, pachycephalosaurs, aublysodons and dryptosaurus was an almost daily occurrence, especially near the river where creatures of all sizes and appetites congregated to drink. Because the cave was situated so far away from the river, they did not encounter many crises there, except for the infrequent visit of the spinosaurus and occasionally other predators; sometimes they'd remain in the cave for days at a time until the danger had left.

They were barely surviving; they were almost emaciated and were just managing to keep themselves alive. They both knew they couldn't live like this permanently, but despite their habitual scouting missions, they'd seen no anomalies. Connor tried to remain cheerful, but the stress was weighing heavily on both of them.

Over two months had passed since they'd entered the Cretaceous. They were at the river, bathing beneath the shelter of an overhang. It was their favourite part of the river because it was shielded from the banks' view, offering protection against hungry prowlers. Sometimes a carnivore would stalk past right above their heads and they would freeze in panic, but thankfully the water and rock density screened their scent. Only once had a deinonychus raptor thrust its head underneath the overhang and spotted them, at which point Abby had launched a nasty kick to stun it and they'd bolted to safety.

Ominous dark clouds gathered, and a sudden clap of thunder echoed across the plain. Abby and Connor prepared to leave, pulling their clothes back on and assembling their groceries – two fish, a lilac pear-shaped fruit they wanted to toxicity test, and a tiny amount of algae. That would have to feed them for the next couple of days, until they'd regained their strength enough to return.

Suddenly Abby saw something that made her blood run cold. She could hardly believe her eyes.

"My God!" she whispered, her breath catching in her throat. "Connor, Connor! _CONNOR_!"

"You'll wake up the bloody forest doing that," Connor snapped.

Abby clutched at his arm and pointed frantically upstream, her eyes wide with shock.

"Eh?" He followed her finger. Further up the river, wandering around aimlessly was a young child. "Oh my God. Oh my God."

Abby launched herself out of the water and sprinted toward the girl, who looked terrified. Connor was right behind her. They reached her and Abby bent down and grasped her hands. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you," she said. The girl continued to stare, her expression painted with horror, until Abby realised she wasn't looking at _her_.

Connor and Abby spun around. The spinosaurus was charging out of the trees, swinging its gigantic head around, its roar splitting the silence apart. Without a moment's hesitation, Connor grabbed the girl and flung her over his shoulder. They raced up the embankment, scattering pebbles everywhere.

Abby shot a glance behind her. The spinosaurus had stopped chasing them; it had turned around and was snapping at something she couldn't see. There was a blinding flash and a piercing, reverberating bang, and the forest exploded into a calamity of noise as creatures dashed about in panic.

Connor seized Abby's arm and pulled her behind a stone formation. He set the little girl down on a rock and pushed her fringe behind her ears. She looked about eight or nine, with long dark hair and astute brown eyes. Connor blinked in surprise. Those eyes … seemed strangely familiar.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Abby asked gently, kneeling down beside her.

The girl looked down at her feet, then peered up at Abby through her lashes. Her cheeks flushed the colour of cherries.

Connor's stomach growled. He missed cherries ... and apples… kiwi fruit… pizza and lemonade and potato chips… soft warm beds and long hot showers … He missed Sarah and Danny and Jenny and Becker … even Lester … He missed Rex and Sid and Nancy … He missed his computers and tweeking gadgets and the routine anomaly siren ringing around the ARC … He missed home.

It was so easy to get lost in imagination, envisioning the luxuries of the twenty-first century and forgetting the harsh reality that was seventy-five million years prior. He shook his head, diffusing the image of him and Abby lazing about on the sofa watching movies, and returned to the matter at hand – the child.

"Come on, sweetheart," Abby cajoled. "We're here to help you. Tell us your name, yeah? Please?"

Abby's head was spinning. What the bloody hell was a little girl doing millions of years in the past? She must have ... of course!

Abby glanced at Connor, her eyes shining with unsurpassed hope. "Anomaly," she mouthed. Connor's eyes flew wide, their chocolate depths dancing with the same wish.

"Come on," Abby repeated. "We want to help you get back home, but you'll have to trust us."

The girl gazed at Abby for a moment then nodded.

"Okay," Abby continued. "Tell us how you got here."

"I…" Her voice faltered and she squinted her eyes shut. After a few seconds she reopened them and continued. "There was a big bright light. It looked so pretty … I … I wanted to touch it, I wanted to know what it was. So I went up to it, and then I was here."

"Do you remember where it was?" Abby asked. She forced herself to keep her voice passive and casual, but her and Connor knew the enormity of the situation; if they found the anomaly, it meant home! If they didn't, they were stuck here with a frightened child for who knew how much longer.

"Um... Maybe… I might be able to find it again if we were back at the river."

Both Connor and Abby sighed in unison. They were so close, so close to home. But something was bothering Connor, niggling at him. There was something about that girl … did he know her?

"Tell us your name," Connor requested.

As she opened her mouth to reply, it struck him. No, no, _no_, _NO_! It couldn't be!

"My name's Helen," she said.

* * *

_Dun dun duun._

_:D_

_Reviews?  
_


	10. Chapter 9

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Nine**

**

* * *

**

An astonished silence settled around them like a suffocating cloud.

Then Connor blew up. He stormed off, cursing at the top of his lungs in rage and horror. Abby motioned for the girl to stay where she was and hurried after him, a knot in her stomach.

"That – that _thing_, she – she –" Connor spat, unable to string together a coherent sentence. He kicked furiously at the ground, sending something flying into the rock formation; it shattered like glass on impact but he didn't even notice.

Abby reached for him, desperate to calm him down. It had started to rain, and his hair matted to his face and stung his eyes, but he didn't care. All he could see was Helen's face sneering at him as she disappeared through the anomaly; all he could hear was the residue ringing of the gun as it ended his mentor's life; all he could taste was the acrid tang of thick smoke as the bomb detonated; all he could feel was Cutter's lifeless body in his arms.

Hate.

Endless hate.

"THAT DISGUSTING EXCUSE OF A PERSON!" he howled. "SHE KILLED CUTTER! SHE KILLED HER _OWN HUSBAND_! SHE KILLED EVERYBODY!"

Unstoppable fury encased him; he couldn't think of anything but the devastation befallen the world – the evil that was Helen Cutter.

That girl. That girl was the cause of it all. It was _all her_.

She was right there. He could end it all now.

"We can stop it," he cried. "We can STOP HER _RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW_!"

Abby seized him and pushed him back against the rock wall. "Yes, Helen did that, she deserves it, but that's just a little girl. _She_ hasn't done anything wrong, not yet. You can't hurt her for something she hasn't done!"

Connor's eyes blazed in anger. "But she does. And she will, unless we stop her. Unless we end it before it can begin. She killed Cutter, Abby. She killed Stephen. She tried to kill us, all of us, feed us to the creatures. She blew up the ARC! She kills the hominids, Abby! She kills EVERYBODY!"

Abby's chin quivered. Connor had always maintained that Danny had stopped Helen in time, and here he was accusing her of succeeding. He'd comforted her and insisted everything was alright whenever she'd broken down, but it was a lie. He'd lost all hope that they'd ever get home. Before she could say anything, Connor pushed past her and stalked menacingly toward the girl – toward the cause of Armageddon.

Young Helen looked up at him, her eyes stretching wide with terror as she saw the malice engraved on his face. She clambered off the rock and bolted. The rain had aggressed into a fierce downpour, the heavy sheets spitting in their faces and churning the ground below their feet into mud. The girl tripped over, petrified. They were at the river, the water spilling over the banks and swirling violently, its dark whirls sucking at the air, threatening to haul everything into its depths. The sky was black, the occasional vein of lightning illuminating the landscape in a brutal blaze.

Connor reached her, grabbed at her, pushed her into the mud. She was small, defenceless; it would be so easy. She sobbed hysterically, the tears mixing with the rain and the river spray, and her chest stuttered in short, laboured gasps. Her eyes were slammed shut, her tiny hands over her face as she braced for the strange man to destroy her.

A flare of sympathy and remorse clouted him; he was about to murder a powerless child in cold blood. Anger had spurred him to wrap his hands around her neck, but actually constricting the life out of her? It was too much, too cruel. He wasn't a killer. He wasn't a Helen. He couldn't snuff the breath from a vulnerable little girl, even if she would grow up to be the end of the world.

Could he?

Memories flashed through his head: Abby fighting desperately with the sabretooth; the future predators tearing dozens of soldiers to shreds; watching helplessly as the man he'd looked to as a father died beside him; all their years of painstaking work obliterated in a miasma of suffocating smoke; yelling out in distress as Helen shattered the artefact into a thousand pieces.

Cold resolution hit him again. This wasn't murder. This was justice. This was self defence.

"Let her go, Connor, or I'll shoot Abby."

Any icy claw gripped him, his heart pounding like a sledgehammer, his hands shaking, his eyes awash with terrified tears. He turned slowly.

Helen's adult self was digging her nails into Abby's arm, a gun pressed against her head. Abby was grinding her teeth, her fists clenched in anger. Helen watched Connor with a composed, condescending demeanour.

"Don't listen, Connor," Abby beseeched. "Do it. Save the world."

Helen pushed the gun even harder into Abby's skull, her leer widening. "Oh, he won't do it. I have the one thing he'd die for, right here at the end of my trigger."

"Are you going to kill her like you killed your own husband?" Connor snarled.

Helen's eyes flickered with surprise.

"Connor!" Abby pleaded. "Do it!"

"You really are clueless, aren't you?" Helen spat. "He's in love with you; he'll do exactly as I say when I have you hostage."

Abby froze, Helen's words gyrating through her mind. Connor's face said it all.

"Now, be a good boy and let go of her," Helen demanded.

Connor stood up, stepping away from the future evil he'd almost prevented.

Helen shuffled toward the girl, keeping her gun rigid on Abby. She grasped the child's hand and pulled her up. "Don't worry. You're safe now. I'm taking you home."

They fled.

"No!" Connor bellowed. He took after them, chasing them up the bank of the river. His footsteps slapped against the squelching mud, the blood roaring in his ears.

She would not escape. Not again.

The gravel gave way beneath his feet and he slipped, disappearing into the wild torrents of the river. He thrashed his arms frantically, struggling to keep his head above the crashing waves that shoved at him and the churning eddies that dragged him under. Water flooded his mouth, his nose; choking him, burning his throat and his lungs.

The violent current hurled him against a projecting rock and his head emitted a sickening crack. The last bubble of air escaped his lips as everything went black.

* * *

_Dun dun duun (again)._

_I was worried Connor would seem out of character, but he's tired, hungry, thirsty and convinced that Helen destroyed civilisation, so had a momentary lapse of sanity._

_For those who didn't pick up on it, the thing that "shattered like glass on impact" was Helen's dropped anomaly console. Also, there's a hint in there somewhere as to why Helen can be there when she'd dead. It'll resurface later on, so don't worry if you don't see it.  
_

_I've almost finished writing this story, I'm a couple of paragraphs into the eighteenth chapter. :D_

_Big thank yous to dachessfaleen, Brumeier and XxbagpussxX for your support and to my other reviewers too :)  
_


	11. Chapter 10

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Ten**

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**

Abby's heart leapt into her throat as she watched Connor's hand disappear beneath the raging water.

Everything Connor had done for her flashed through her mind like a vivid movie reel jammed on fast forward. Jack was telling her how he'd gambled Rex away and Connor hadn't breathed a word about rescuing him. He was burdening a sword against his throat to block the dracorex from Sir William. She was accidentally punching him in the face as he tried to break up the fight between her and Caroline. He was shouting at a future predator to lure it away from her. He was above her again, his determined hand the only thing holding her from death. He was willing to die for her.

They were on the couch watching TV, curled lazily in each other's arms. They were quarrelling over what movie to rent for the week, Connor insisting it was once again his turn to choose. They were dancing at the safe house, dressed in centuries-old attire and laughing as they spun to the music from the gramophone. They were laying on the floor, smothered by two diictodons and a coelurosauravus, their mirth filling the flat.

Helen's words screamed at her, piercing her eardrums. She'd always known deep down, just a tiny seed of knowledge and passion that she fought tooth and claw to extinguish. It was only when the viciously indifferent sneers of Helen spoke it aloud that it had really surfaced, burning through her with a sudden fire she didn't know existed.

She plunged into the freezing surge of water, ignoring the pain that coursed through her body as she hit the serrated riverbed. She wrapped her arm around Connor's lifeless form and reached out desperately for something that would stop the angry force pushing them under, sweeping them downstream. The quadriceps built strong from years of kickboxing fought frenetically against the current; she pushed her muscles beyond what she could stand, her free arm hunting for salvation.

She would save Connor or die trying.

Eventually her hand connected with rock. She grabbed it and, with a fortitude only ascertained from merciless peril, pulled herself and Connor up onto the bank. She rolled him over, spilling the water from his mouth.

In that instant, she knew the blazing agony Connor had felt for her. She knew now that she couldn't ignore it anymore - she couldn't stomp it into the ground like she had been for so long. He was her life, her everything.

She began CPR, compressing her hands against his chest and respiring to his lips. Heart wrenching dread clouded her senses; Connor was all she could see, all she could feel, all she could _breathe_.

Minutes passed and still nothing, but she persevered.

"Don't you dare die, Connor!" she screamed. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't see it! I'm sorry I wouldn't admit it to myself!" She was trembling, her heart breaking at the overwhelming fear of losing him. "I can now! I love you, Connor. I love you! And I want to tell you that, but you need to wake up! Wake up CONNOR! Please! Oh my God, wake up!"

Abby didn't know how long she crouched there fighting to bring him back to life. A tiny distant voice in her mind told her he was gone, but she stubbornly refused to believe it. Connor had never given up on her and damned if she was going to give up on him.

Suddenly his body convulsed violently and he gave a lurching heave.

Abby almost collapsed, her own body shuddering with relief. "Connor, Connor," she cried. She held him as he vomited the water from his lungs, his throat on fire. He gasped for air, his eyes twisting wildly in their sockets as he gradually regained consciousness.

"Abby?" he croaked, his voice hoarse. He groaned, wincing as feeling returned, his muscles aching with inexorable pain. His lungs were scorching and bitterly raw, as though someone had ravaged them with sandpaper.

"Oh my God, Connor," Abby howled. "You're alive. You're alive."

"'Course I'm alive," Connor moaned. "Can't leave you here alone, can I?" He cringed, the words rasping at his throat painfully.

Abby wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, wracking with sobs. He lifted his hand weakly and returned the embrace.

"Connor, I need to tell you something," Abby said. "Seeing you in the river … I … I realised something."

Her eyes were swathed with unyielding affection. Connor's heart swelled with sudden hope, but rationality quickly doused the flare. He watched her apprehensively, waiting for the disappointment to come.

"I love you."

Connor's breath caught in his throat, the emotion too overwhelming. He'd imagined this moment thousands of times, lived for it. She was his world. Dare he believe it was true? But there was no mistaking the indescribable love in her eyes. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, the revelation sending an inferno of untamed ecstasy through his veins.

She leant forward and he tilted his head to close his lips around hers.

Why had she avoided this moment for so long? Abby couldn't explain her own evasion, the pathological denial she'd draped herself in. Connor was her best friend, her every memory, the missing piece in her life. She accepted it now, and welcomed it.

Abby fell onto the bank beside him, tangling her fingers through his hair as the kiss deepened, three years of suppressed emotion finally set free.

* * *

_:D The moment we've all been waiting for (although it will be much better when it finally happens in the actual series!)_

_The chapter's pretty short, but I thought that was the perfect ending so I stopped it there. I've finished writing the story, it has eighteen chapters (totally obliterated my original goal of 12) and there's much more excitement (and angst) to come. I will post one every day. :)_

_Remember to review! :D  
_


	12. Chapter 11

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Eleven**

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Predators typically take advantage of storms; herbivores stand with their backs to the rain, making them easy targets. At the time, dinosaurs had been far from Abby's mind, but now that Connor was revived and the gale had died off, she was aware at how vulnerable they had been, exposed on the rock. Fortunately the portion of bank she'd dragged them onto was a projection from the main shore, and the ferocious waves had blocked the narrow strait that connected the islet.

The sun was peeking out tentatively from behind the clouds, casting dappled rays of light across the ground. The two backpacks, initially hung on low-lying branches, had been thrown off the tree during the downpour, but by an incredible stroke of luck they had been wedged behind a couple of jutting stones. They had however lost their spear and store of food.

When Connor and Abby finally reached the sheltered overhang, they spotted the cause of the deafening noise that had sent the forest into chaos. The spinosaurus was crumpled in an unceremonious heap, its cold livid eyes glaring straight ahead. A hole erupted from its forehead, similar to a gunshot wound but charred around the edges as though caused by intense heat.

Abby remembered how the dinosaur had been distracted by something that allowed them to flee to safety. "Helen did this," she murmured.

Connor ran his finger along the lesion. "It's a burn," he noted. "A clean shot all the way through to the brain, by the looks of it." He let out a low whistle. "It would take incredible force to do this sort of damage. My guess is some sort of laser. Pretty amazing technology, eh."

"It's horrible," Abby glowered.

"Weapon of mass destruction," Connor agreed. "Can you imagine if this got into the wrong hands?"

"It did."

Connor wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him. "It'll be okay. She got what she wanted. She's gone now."

"No, Connor!" Abby pushed him away, her eyes shining with the onset of tears. "It's not okay! You've lost all hope that we'll ever get home! And you're right! Helen's alive, she succeeded! Danny's probably dead, and now there's no home to get back to! Everyone is gone! We're stuck here forever! We're going to die out here, from disease or starvation or exhaustion or ripped apart by some damn creature! I'm sick of this, Connor! I just want to go home, and now there's no home! I can't do this, Connor, I can't!"

Connor gathered her against his chest, stroking her hair with one hand. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, closing his eyes to suppress his own tears. He hated seeing Abby in pain, and she was truly broken at the moment. After a few days of being lost in the past, he'd concluded that there was scarce chance they'd ever escape, but he'd never let on to Abby about the termination of his hope, for fear of injecting the same despair into her. But he'd accidentally revealed it in his sudden surge of anger, and this was the outcome.

He didn't know what to say. She knew he didn't believe they'd ever get home or survive very long, and if he offered words of comfort saying that she'd know he was lying. He was angry – this was all Helen's fault. If only he hadn't hesitated…

"Yes you can," he stated. "You're stronger than this, Abby. You can do anything. Are you going to let Helen beat you like this?"

"She already has," Abby wailed. "She wins, Connor."

"She only wins when you let her," Connor insisted. "We're alive, eh? And we're together. Do you regret that?"

She'd gone through emotional hell thinking Connor was dead – was that how he had felt with the Mer? Abby raised her eyes to Connor's. His chocolate depths were sparkling with fear that she would take back her declaration. Abby's heart lurched as she saw it; just how much had she hurt him?

"Of course not," she whispered. "If I did, I wouldn't have done what I did. Do you have any idea how long it took me to revive you? I refused to give up. You never would have."

Connor's body was still clouted by an intense ache and scorching lungs, but he understood that it was Abby's relentless determination that had saved his life. He delicately kissed the top of her head. "No, and thank you for that."

"I couldn't let you die. I'd miss your awful jokes too much," Abby teased.

They both grinned, lost in a rare moment of immaturity that exempted the dire milieu they were in.

Connor's smile waned. "Did you mean it? Before on the rocks?" he asked.

Abby's stomach churned. How could he even _doubt_ that? "Of course I meant it!" she snapped, thumping his arm crossly. "Do you think I'd lie about that, Connor?"

"No," Connor said. "But it could've been a spur-of-the-moment thing, you could've-"

"You think I'm going to make the same mistake I did before?" Abby's voice was barely audible, thick with despondency. "You don't believe me, do you?" She read Connor's aggrieved expression and her eyes hardened. "You think it's the isolation getting to me, don't you? That this is just … a trick of the mind? I'm not really feeling what I'm feeling."

Before Connor could respond, Abby tore herself from his arms and stomped away, her boots sloshing noisily in the mud. "Fine. If you won't accept it, then just forget I said anything," she spat.

"Abby!" Connor called. He caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Go away!" she snapped.

An ominous hiss made them both spin around. Four deinonychus were advancing swiftly, lured in by the smell of the spinosaurus carcass and their incautious yelling. With precision mastered from over two months of constant danger, they scaled the closest tree and perched on the highest supportive branches, peering down at the reptiles jumping about in vain.

Connor looked down at Abby, who was alighted on the branch just below him. "You can't run away from me, Abby," he pointed out. "You have to listen to me now."

Abby ignored him and proceeded to hurl tree kernels at the raptors.

"For three years you have rejected me, and then I almost die and you decide you've taken a fancy to me. Three years, Abby. That's a long time." He fought to keep his voice steady, but as the tears escaped, the façade splintered and the pain was evident. "Maybe the shock of me drowning made you crack or something. Why _now_? After going who knows how long without any human contact besides me, I have to wonder if it's just the stress and loneliness getting to you and making you feel things you normally wouldn't. Tell me why, Abby? Why would you fancy me _now_?"

Abby threw one of the kernels at him, glowering. "I remembered all the times you've sacrificed your safety for mine, and all the great times we've had together. I realised that I want to be with you, and grow old with you… Because I realised how much you meant to me. You… you mean _everything_ to me. I can't imagine my life without you, I just can't. And I realised that the feelings have always been there, I just wouldn't admit it."

Connor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Abby's words were gyrating through his head. _The feelings have always been there, I just wouldn't admit it._ Could it be? Or was fate playing another cruel prank? He made a decision: Abby was confessing her feelings to him, and was pretty pissed at the implication that they weren't authentic. They were doomed to suffer in the Cretaceous as the first (and last) humans on earth, and denying their _only_ chance for happiness wouldn't solve anything. He loved Abby too much to let this recede. It would destroy them both.

He opened his eyes and then mouth to reply, but Abby wasn't in the tree anymore.

"Come on," she called from the ground. "They're gone. It's almost dark and we need to get back to the cave."

She turned and marched away. After pouring her heart out to him, Connor hadn't replied. He'd just sat there with his eyes closed, ignoring her. _Fine,_ she'd thought. _If you're going to make me experience what you went through, so be it. I'm sorry you can't even recognize it when your dreams come true. _

_

* * *

_

_Lots of angst. Because everyone loves Connor/Abby angst. Sadistic people, we fangirls are._

_Please review, peoples! I have eleven people alerted for this story and a fair amount of lurkers, yet there's only two-three people reguarly reviewing. I'd love to get at least 50 reviews before this story is over, and I know I could get double that if everyone that read it said something. It's hard work and I spent hours planning, researching, writing, synonyming and proofreading every chapter. Please leave a little review? Pretty please? It's not very hard, you just push this little button here ↓ and say what you thought of it. It makes the muse very very happy, and it will give me inspiration to write my next plotbunny idea - what caused the Claudia Brown shift? Dun dun duuun. So please ... you! Yes, you! Click the button! You know you want to! :D_


	13. Chapter 12

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Twelve**

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**

By the time they finally reached the cave they were completely exhausted. It had been a traumatic and draining day, and the moon was ascending as they wearily climbed the precipice and collapsed inside.

_I need to talk to her,_ Connor thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words barely made it past his lips. The toll of drowning and trekking back to camp, as well as not having eaten in several days and the emotional strain, left him puffing for breath. He simply couldn't manage the strength for verbal communication. _Later._ He gave way to the dizzying blackness that fogged him.

xxx

Abby blinked open her eyes. Her head was pounding and she wished Becker had packed Panadol in the medical kit. She peered up at the sky – the sun was creeping down below the trees, bathing the ground in its warm yellow glow. They'd been sleeping for the whole day. She crawled over to the assortment of boughs they'd used to suspend the backpacks and drank thirstily; her throat was burning and she knew dehydration was always skulking nearby.

She looked over at Connor. He was sprawled out, his arms curled over his face and his jaw twitching as he muttered in his sleep. A lump formed in her throat as she remembered what had happened the day before. How could everything always go so wrong between them? It was blatantly clear they felt for each other; everyone could see it – even Helen, and that was saying something!

She'd always denied Connor being more than a friend, and had formed the wretched habit of offending him whenever someone pointed out the obvious. When Connor had yelled out "I love you!" on the cliff, she'd felt her carefully constructed wall crumble around her. No one had ever said that to her before. Out of instinct, she'd snapped at Lucien's innocent comment, but had instantly regretted it as she watched Connor dash from sight. She'd attempted to make amends when they got home, forcing the avowal out of him.

As she'd delved into Connor's brown eyes, waiting for the fateful words to come, he'd shaken his head and acted ignorant. But she'd persevered and continued to stare at him, pleading with her eyes for him to admit it.

"Abby, I-"

And then there was Caroline, ruining everything. She'd whisked Connor away and the moment was gone.

Abby had shoved every ounce of emotion to the ground after that. Connor was with Caroline. And if he loved her, he could say it himself. She wasn't holding him back.

That plan had flown out the window a year later at the racetrack. She'd been livid with Connor, accusing him of wanting her brother dead and snapping at him for thinking rationally. But then Jack had confided with her, telling her how he'd gambled away Rex and recounting that Connor had stormed the poker winner's house with Becker and two soldiers to get him back. She was astonished that someone would do all that without uttering a word; he could have made Jack look terrible and yet had kept the secret, claiming it was so she wouldn't be hurt.

She'd intended for a simple thank you, but the surge of emotion that had swept through her was beyond recognition, and on an impulse she'd kissed him. No one had ever done such a selfless act for her, and the gratitude was overwhelming.

By the time she'd realised what she was doing, it was too late. It was too much. She didn't see Connor _that_ way… No, she didn't. Of course she didn't. He was just a mate. She'd repeated that to herself, forcing the mantra to brand itself into her mind. She'd fled the scene feeling terrible, leaving Connor dazed and misled, and showered a dark corner with her tearful burden.

With a heavy sigh she resumed her place beside him and fell into an uneasy sleep, plagued with nightmares of Connor thrashing helplessly in the black water.

xxx

As soon as day broke they travelled back to the river. They were bordering emaciation again, and were desperate for something to satiate the furious hunger gnashing at them. They'd constructed a basic spear from a stick and a sharp stone, and woven another fishing line.

Abby and Connor emerged into the clearing beside the river, breathing in the glorious scent of fresh water. They hurried quickly over the grass, cautious at being so exposed. The spinosaurus body was still on display some distance upstream, its flanks and hide ripped open; someone had made a meal of Helen's malice.

Connor took advantage and removed a portion of the rotted flesh with a serrated rock he'd found on the way. He waded into the river with the fishing rod, threading a tiny chunk of the meat onto the end of the forest needle and casting it out into the shimmering water. There was no sign of the deinonychus, which sent a prickle of anxiety down his neck.

"Connor! Look out!" Abby screamed, who'd been acting as sentinel.

Connor sprinted out of the river just as a tyrannosaur crashed out of the vegetation and landed where he'd just been, sending a wave of churning water spraying across the bank. He scrambled over to Abby and they fled into the trees, zigzagging around the flora to confuse the predator. They halted, unexpectedly cut off by a towering rockface. They turned, swallowing their fear as they faced the carnivore.

The tyrannosaur took an intimidating step forward and revealed its huge cavern of jagged teeth. Connor instinctively grabbed Abby's hand and squeezed it as they backed into the rockface. There was no escape.

"Pick on someone your own size!" Connor yelled.

Suddenly the trees rustled behind the dinosaur and an enormous furry creature lumbered out. It resembled a bear, but with huge sloth-like claws curving into its paws. A thick tail dragged along behind it.

The animal stood up on its hind legs, the immense height dwarfing an elephant. It scratched its leg lazily and emitted a loud grunting sound.

The tyrannosaur twisted around and launched itself at the creature. The mammal rumbled in surprise as the carnivore tore at its flank, and it retaliated with a fierce clubbing at the assailant's head. It pushed out with its trunk-sized feet and knocked the tyrannosaur over, who roared angrily and swung its tail around to whack the mammal in the head. The shaggy brown animal clambered over the tyrannosaur, bellowing defiantly, its long tongue flinging globules of split in the reptile's face. The fight was evenly matched as the two colossal creatures went head-to-head, their war cries echoing around the forest.

Connor stood mesmerised, watching their rescuer flail its hefty arms as it wrestled with the tyrannosaur. Hope flared up inside of him. It couldn't be … could it?

"Come on!" Abby pulled him away and they dashed behind the rockface, but he held her back. "Are you _kidding_ me?" she cried. "Do you _want_ to turn into kibble?"

"Abby," he gasped. "That thing… it's a megatherium."

"That's great, Connor. Now can we go?" She tugged at his arm, but the wilderness had built him muscles and she couldn't budge him.

He turned to her, his chocolate eyes alight with excitement. "It's not from this era, Abby. It's from the Pliocene. There's an anomaly."

* * *

_I managed to harass two extra people into reviewing (I don't count dachessfaleen or Brumeier because they always do :D), maybe I can harass a couple more. Begging seems to help ... PLEEEEEASE. PLEEEEEASE. REVIEW. :P Let's see if we can get up to 40 reviews by next chapter? That's only like half the people that are actually alerted to this story, and that doesn't count the lurkers! :D So 40? I'll be very happy with the 6 reviews to get to 40 :D  
_


	14. Chapter 13

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Thirteen**

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**

Abby stared at him, her eyes widening as she registered the information. Tears of astonishment stung behind her lids. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly, before she swallowed and blinked away the shock.

"Let's find it and get out of here."

It was the first glimmer of hope they'd had in seventy-five million years. Anticipation brimmed inside of them, and Connor found himself doubled over and laughing. Abby laughed with him, and soon they were leaning against each other, gasping for breath. It wasn't even funny; they were just so _relieved_. There was an anomaly somewhere!

"Come on." Connor lifted her onto the precipice and they clambered up, reaching the highest point and scanning their surroundings.

On the other side of the rockface was the anomaly. It looked absolutely magnificent, the shards of diamond bouncing through the air and casting its brilliant white light everywhere.

"YES!" Abby screamed, punching the air triumphantly.

They slid down the incline and dashed over to the glimmering orb. They stood before it, taking in the sight with awe.

"Danny could be on the other side of that. And Helen," Abby whispered. The light was dancing off her eyes, and they sparkled like cerulean opals. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

Without another word, they stepped through.

The terrain was rocky and surrounded by short gravelly hills, which descended into an expanse of grassland. The landscape was dotted with trees and stumpy shrubs. There was a pool of water below an overhang nearby, and in the distance they could see ungulates grazing on the pasture.

"Wow," Connor murmured.

They hiked down the terrain to the small lake and gasped at the sight befallen them. More than a dozen corpses were scattered around the water. The flesh was eaten away and the leftover tissue was rotted, casting off the horrid stench of decay and death.

Connor ran into the bushes and threw up, his body wracking with despair. Helen had done it. She'd destroyed everyone. The hominids were dead; humans would never evolve.

There was no London, no flat, no ARC. No Becker or Sarah or Lester. There'd never been a Cutter, a Ryan, a Jenny, a Jack or a Stephen. No one had ever existed. There was nothing.

No home.

Everything was gone.

"No!" Abby gagged and fell to her knees. She pounded at the ground furiously; tiny scarlet lines appeared on her fists but she continued hurling punch after punch at the earth, shouting as loud as her lungs allowed. Tears cascaded down her face and stained the ground beneath her.

Connor made his way over to Abby and wrapped his arms around her. They huddled together and cried, their joint anguish filling the skies.

They sat that way for a long time, enfolded in the comforting arms of the other. The sun was high in the sky by the time Connor regained his composure and broke the silence.

"Danny might still be alive."

He didn't believe it. Helen would have had no hesitation in adding Danny to her massacre. But they needed a purpose to live; otherwise they'd just succumb to the nothingness that was their reality. They didn't really exist in this timeline; they were just floating in the loophole that granted them tangibility. If they had nothing to live for Connor was afraid they'd end up committing suicide.

"We should go look for him, eh?"

He carefully wiped away a tear from her eye. She sniffled and looked up at him. The flame she'd felt when Connor had drowned slashed through her veins again.

"Connor, what's going on with us?" she asked unexpectedly.

Connor blinked in surprise. His gaze veered from her and settled on a fascinating twig nearby. _You tell me_, he thought. This was tearing him apart. He opened his mouth to reply, but Abby spoke again.

"Why did you ignore me when we were in the tree?"

"What? I didn't ignore you!" Connor protested. "I was trying to think of the right thing to say so I didn't say something stupid. When I did, you'd jumped out of the tree and obviously didn't want to talk to me."

Abby sighed and leaned in closer to him. "You can say it now. I'm listening."

Connor curled a lock of her hair around his finger absentmindedly. "What is there to say, Abby? You make me speechless. I can never manage a coherent sentence around you."

Abby's lips lifted in a small smile. "Typical Connor," she murmured. "Try."

Connor closed his eyes. Images flashed inside his head of everything he and Abby had been through … the mosasaur … the future predators … deinonychus in a shopping centre … giant worms … a mammoth on the M25 … the camouflage creature … giganotosaurus at the airport … terror birds … dracorex … megopterans … embolotherium … the Mer… the list was endless. He remembered how Abby had stayed with him after he fell from the tree, fending off the raptors while he was unconscious and refusing to leave him.

Then there was the last two months, the memories blurring together like one long event, not knowing where one day begun and the other ended; not knowing when everything could come crashing down, when one of them would be shredded by enormous teeth just waiting around every corner. They'd been together for three years … living and working together every day … laughing and smiling and joking and having each other's backs.

_The feelings have always been there, I just wouldn't admit it._

She'd dragged him from the black depths of the river and brought him back to life. She'd told him she loved him. She'd given him everything he'd dreamt of and wished for.

Why the hell was he denying it?

Instead of fumbling to tell her, Connor brushed his lips against hers and showed her.

"Do you believe me now?" Abby whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

"S'pose so, Eve."

"The only two humans on Earth," Abby said sadly. She looked over to the carnage behind them, and another lump formed in her throat. How could they be happy when the entire of civilisation was wiped off the planet?

"Well I wasn't expecting this."

Abby and Connor spun around.

A figure was standing atop the overhang. His red checkered shirt was ripped and hanging in tatters, and the once-long black trousers had the bottoms torn off. A mop of russet hair glinted copper as it caught the sunlight.

* * *

_Well I didn't get my 40 reviews D: I'm going to stop begging people now ... But a big thank you to everyone that did and does review, it means a lot to me! I do work really hard on these stories, and love it when people show their appreciation ..._

_Amazingly enough, in Biology today we were watching a video that mentioned Lucy from the Rift Valley in Africa, and that the hominids there were probably killed by a flood or something ... But I know that it was really Helen ;)_


	15. Chapter 14

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Fourteen**

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"Danny!" Abby exclaimed.

Happiness flared inside of Connor. He was alive! Danny was _alive_!

"Get down here!" Connor called.

Danny's face was plastered with a huge grin as he disappeared from sight. He reappeared seconds later at the incline beside the overhang and slid down it to join them.

Abby flung her arms around him, the tears rampant again; only this time, it was from joy instead of grief. "You're alive, you're alive," she blubbered into his shoulder.

"And so are you," Danny commented. Once Abby had removed herself from him, he hugged Connor and slapped him on the back. "Good to see you, mate. Thought I was going to be alone here forever." His eyes travelled down their bedraggled skinny frames. "You guys look hungry. Did you get trapped, too?"

"Oh yeah," Connor agreed. "We haven't eaten in days. Stuff keeps … stopping us."

The haunted look in Connor's eyes told Danny something serious had happened, and he made a mental note to ask them about it later. "Come on, let's get you back to my camp and get some grub into you. Seems I was in the better off era, although I wouldn't have said no to the company." He set off in the direction of his makeshift home, beckoning the other two to follow.

"Where's Helen?" Abby asked, dreading the answer. She expected Danny's head to droop as he relayed the demise of the hominids, but to her surprise Danny beamed.

"Dead. Raptor came through the anomaly and pushed her off that cliff there …" He trailed off, seeing their shocked expressions. "What?"

"When'd that happen?" Connor demanded.

"Um … the same day I came through."

Connor and Abby stared at each other. Helen was dead. Helen had _been dead_ the whole time they were trapped. Yet they'd seen her just a couple of days ago.

"She died before she had a chance to kill anyone else." He swept his arm around, indicating the graveyard of bodies. "Don't worry, she was stopped. There's still a home to get back to."

They turned their gaze on him. _She was stopped._ The evil had been extinguished before it could eradicate the entire course of humanity. Civilisation was saved. Home still existed!

"We saw her," Abby said.

Danny's eyebrows shot up. "When?"

"The other day. We …" Abby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She squeezed Connor's hand before continuing. "We saw a little girl by the river we were fishing in. We got chased by a spinosaurus, but something happened … it got distracted and then there was this loud noise and a bright light. We didn't know what it was, because we were running for our lives. When we stopped, we asked the girl what her name was, and … and … it was Helen. It was her when she was younger… Connor, he tried to kill her … I don't think he had it in him though … but he was so close … then Helen – the adult Helen we know – came, and she took me hostage so that Connor would give her up. They escaped."

Danny was listening in amazement as Abby recounted the events of the previous day. "She must have rescued her child self before she decided to kill everyone," he suggested.

Suddenly Connor stopped, his eyes stretched wide with horror. He doubled over and began hyperventilating.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Abby cried, her voice thick with fear. She grabbed hold of him to try and steady him, but he sat down awkwardly, holding his head in his hands. He was shaking. "Connor!"

"It's my fault!" he yelled. "Oh my god, it was me."

Danny knelt down beside him. "What are you talking about?"

"When I thought she was going to kill Abby," he explained, struggling to get the words out coherently, "I said to her … I said 'Are you going to kill her like you killed your own husband?' I didn't realise it at the time … but now … she looked surprised. She didn't know. She hadn't done it yet. It was me. It was _me_! It's my fault Cutter's dead!"

"Oh, Connor. It's not your fault, its Helen's," Abby soothed. "Helen chose to kill Cutter, not you. She'd still have killed him even if her stupid childhood hadn't run into us."

Danny had never met Nick Cutter, but he'd heard stories of the brilliant professor who'd led the team before him. He was an impeccable leader, and had spearheaded the anomaly model research until Helen had gatecrashed that fateful day everything changed. She'd created a clone of Cutter to infiltrate the ARC and attacked with the 'replica cleaners', then blown the building to smithereens and shot Cutter after he'd _saved her_ from the smoke. Connor had gone in after him and found him bleeding to death, and he'd had to carry his lifeless body out of the flames. It had destroyed him; Cutter was like a father to Connor.

"Connor, you can't blame yourself for what happened," Danny insisted. "Now get up, come on."

Connor shook his head, which was still buried in his hands. "I said it, I gave her the idea. She killed Cutter because of me."

"Stop blaming yourself, Connor," Danny said sternly. "That's an order."

Abby grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. "Connor, will you get up. It's not your fault Cutter died."

He nodded, but the pain in his eyes revealed that he was still cursing himself. She sighed and supported him as they followed Danny to the place he'd set up residence. It was a hole in the base of another cliff, just large enough for one to squeeze into. He offered them some fruit he kept stored inside; they thanked him and ate hungrily, the familiar juices soothing their parched throats.

"I travel to the anomaly site every day to see if it's reopened," Danny elucidated. "Did you get here through it?"

"Yes," Abby replied. "We were chased by a T-Rex, but a … mega … something … a big bear-sloth thing, came out of the forest and saved us. Connor realised it was from this era, and we found the anomaly."

"Is the anomaly still open?" Danny asked.

"I think so, yeah."

"Connor!" Danny turned to him and shook him by the shoulders. "When Helen fell, I took her backpack. The stuff in there has been keeping me alive here … a knife, rope, medical stuff … but there are also some future gadgets in there. I can't figure out how to work them, but I know what one of them is. It's an anomaly console." He reached into the fissure and pulled out a frayed bag. A quick rummage through had him pushing a small electronic device into Connor's hands. "It's run out of power, but I trust you can fix it. If anyone can do it, you can."

Abby and Connor had had an anomaly console that first day in the Cretaceous, but when Connor had fallen out of the tree he'd landed on it, accidentally shattering the fragile glass and destroying the only form of technology they had.

Abby grinned. Danny had just presented them with a lifeline. He was right; Connor could do anything that involved wires and scientific jargon.

Connor stared at the tiny machine. Their ticket home.

* * *

_Thank you to everyone that has followed and/or reviewed this story! It means so much to me! :D_

_I finished my story "The Claudia Brown Effect" and have posted it. If you've ever wondered what caused her disappearance, you might be interested ;)  
_


	16. Chapter 15

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Fifteen**

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* * *

**

After a lengthy discussion on the pros and cons, they decided to reside in the Cretaceous. Danny had a decent supply of food in the Pliocene, but with the supplies left by Helen rations were no longer an issue. Although the Pliocene also contained less marauding predators, it was further away from the present. They all agreed that the fewer anomalies they had to travel through the better, regardless of whether Connor got the console working or not.

Helen's backpack was a goldmine for survival; no wonder Danny had fared so well. There were a variety of knives, a steel canteen, a coil of Para cord, a lighter, a net, a bar of magnesium flint, a flashlight, a loop of fishing wire and several hooks, a compass, a small pack of sutures and thread, an assortment of medicine and a basic medical kit. There was also a large swathe of waterproof fabric that folded out into a sort of miniature water tank.

"No wonder she did so well," Connor exclaimed. "There's everything in here. And more," he added, gesturing toward the futuristic appliances whose functions were unknown.

The anomaly was weakening as they approached it, and they watched it implode from sight moments after stepping through to the Cretaceous. The sun was setting beyond the horizon, bathing the scenery in a warm auburn glow; they quickened their pace and made it to the cave a few minutes after night fell.

"Very cosy," Danny commented, inspecting his new abode. "Now, what's the number for room service? I think a bit of celebrating is in order." He motioned like he was uncorking a bottle of wine, then handed Connor and Abby an imaginary glass. "Cheers. To finding each other and saving the human race." They laughed and clinked the fantasy items together.

It felt good to be truly cheerful for the first time in months; they had something to celebrate and look forward to. Helen was dead, the hominids were alive, they were together, they had a bounty of survival supplies, and Connor was confident he could get the anomaly console working eventually.

They stayed up for hours swapping tales of endurance, watching the shadows move across the ground and the stars sprinkle their delicate light on the treetops. It was fantastic to be speaking to humans again – Danny hadn't had human contact in months. He'd craved social interaction and would have given anything for a friendly hug when he was depressed or injured. He'd had to do everything himself. Simple things like a 'good morning' or a comforting shoulder to lean on were far beyond him, and he'd suffered miserably from the isolation.

Finally they surrendered to the fatigue plaguing them and called it a night, curling up together by the fire.

xxx

The next day Connor, Abby and Danny trekked to the river. The water reserves were nearing empty and, aside from the small amount of fruit Danny had provided, Connor and Abby still hadn't eaten in days; their ribs were protruding through the skin and their stomachs churned with unsurpassed famine. Each step was a conscious effort to ignore the aching pain that ravaged their muscles and focus on the task at hand.

There was no sign of the tyrannosaur or the megatherium; Abby offered to take guard duty and climbed a tree to survey their surroundings.

Danny and Connor wove the Para cord through the ends of the net and laid it on the bed of the river. Danny stood on one side and Connor on the other and when they saw a flash of movement, they pulled at the cord and the net rose instantly from the water. They'd then reposition the net in a different segment of the river and repeat the process. It was tedious and they burned under the hot sun, but after several hours they'd caught seven fish. The leaf-lined backpacks now served to carry the catch, as they could now collect water in Helen's collapsible reservoir.

Connor rinsed off the broad obovate leaves they collected from a bush growing near the cave. They used them for packaging small provisions such as algae and grubs, and used acicular leaves to bind them together. Danny scoured the riverbank, pulling up various rocks to reveal the wiggling invertebrates underneath. Connor handed him some of the leaves.

"Mm, tasty," Danny said sarcastically as he lifted a writhing worm from its bed of dirt. He saw a beetle scuttling away, disturbed from the human incursion. Danny scurried after it on his hands and knees, tackling the tiny creature with exaggerated gusto. He held it up and wrinkled his nose. "Who needs pizza when you have … bugs."

Connor laughed. "I can't believe how much food we're getting. Normally this would feed me and Abby for a week. It's making me drool…" Danny waved the squirming insect at him. "No, not so much that."

"Guys, there's a dino coming. Directly behind you, Danny," Abby called from her post.

The two men dashed about assembling the supplies and food, then hurried over to meet Abby. A dryptosaurus emerged from the opposite bank just as they escaped into the trees.

They arrived back at the cave at sunset. Danny organised the fire as Connor and Abby prepared the food. Connor scaled and sliced the fish while Abby dispatched the invertebrates. They cooked the meat and ate, satisfying the rumbling ache of emaciation.

"I'm stuffed," Connor beamed as he finished off his ration. He wasn't really; the fish were small and the bugs didn't offer much sustenance. He was still hungry, but it was the biggest meal they'd had in the Cretaceous. It was too dark to work on the devices, so he'd begin work first thing the next morning.

xxx

There were five future devices in Helen's backpack. One of them was the anomaly console, but the other four were a mystery. They consisted of what appeared to be an electronic firearm, a monitor resembling an iPad, a glimmering silver box with a separate panel attached via wiring, and a series of slender pull-out shafts covered with a multitude of tiny reflective holes.

Connor fiddled with the console, his tongue poking out slightly from the side of his mouth. Abby watched his as he worked, an amused smile painting her lips at his expression. He sensed her gaze and looked up. His face flushed bright red. She laughed.

"How's it going?" Abby asked, indicating toward the console. "Getting anywhere?"

He snorted. "No! It's so frustrating. The external casing is seamless; even if I had a screwdriver I couldn't get inside."

Danny edged over to Connor. "I've spent hours studying that thing. I gave up. In copper school we didn't learn how to work strange gadgets that don't exist yet."

Connor rotated the console in his hands. "Its power that's the problem. The batteries from the torch won't work, seeing as there's nowhere to actually put them." He narrowed his eyes and tapped a square hole in the side of the console. "I think this could be an inlet. But we don't have the cable." He bit his lip. "If it was broken, I mighta been able to fix it … but this isn't broken. It's just dead. I'm sorry guys, I don't know what to do."

* * *

_*hugs Connor* There you go Brumeier, glorious food! Haha! Plus some amusing fluff with the bugs. Thanks to my 16 gorgeous reviewers plus all my silent readers. :D I would write more fanfic but its that assessment time of year... Shakespearean play due on Monday anyone? We have to make Shakespeare interesting to little kids ... phht. Hardest assignment ever. Then its shutdown for two weeks, grad (YAY), and I'll be busy organising my future after school, so you may not hear from me for a couple of months. But I might be able to slip in some fic on the side ... depends. I have a plotbunny starring Helen begging to be let loose._


	17. Chapter 16

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Sixteen**

**

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**

Danny was extremely disappointed when Connor disclosed the bleakness of the situation, but he didn't let on. Connor was obviously trying his hardest, and was blaspheming himself at feeling so useless. He ended up breaking down, cursing himself tearfully and shoving the other two away, but Abby managed to restrain his hands long enough to calm him down. Danny and Abby sat beside him and enveloped him in a group hug.

"Don't worry," Abby said. "I'm sure an anomaly will appear eventually."

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "It happened for the Pliocene, didn't it?"

"Whatever happens, we're in this together, yeah." Abby added.

Danny smiled. It was good to have supportive friends after so long alone! "All for one and one for all."

xxx

A week passed. Connor spent all his spare time staring angrily at the appliances, willing an idea to form inside that brilliant mind of his. He'd considered that there might be a clue in the other devices, but couldn't figure it out. It was the most frustrating thing he'd ever gone through – civilisation was just a few buttons away, yet so distant. He was letting Danny and Abby down. He felt like an utter failure.

"Hey, Connor, I need to take a leak," Danny declared. It was an established rule that a sentry be posted whenever someone left the cave for a toilet break. Connor followed him outside and took position beside the boughs.

Abby took the opportunity to examine the appliances herself; she was going insane with boredom. She didn't expect to discover anything, but was interested at the glossy machinery – she was holding things crafted in a time beyond her own, objects that hadn't even been conceived yet. It made her feel small, and she wondered if this was how astronauts felt when they looked down on the earth.

There was a gentle dent in the silver box she hadn't noticed before. She ran her finger along it and was surprised when the indentation gave way to reveal a little cavern. Her heart pounded. Had Connor or Danny known about the compartment? She lifted up the flap and pulled out what was inside – a thin coil of wire, ending in a tiny square plug. She grabbed the monitor and flipped it over. On the side was a square hole. A power inlet.

"Connor! Danny!" she shouted excitedly.

Danny had come back and they'd been chatting at the entrance to the cave. They were at her side in an instant.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"I think this is a charger. Look, there's a flap here. This was inside."Abby handed the plug to Connor.

His eyes were huge as he examined the cable. He turned his attention to the silver box and picked up the attached panel. Suddenly it clicked.

"Of course," he whispered. "It's a solar generator."

"You mean we can just put it in the sun and it'll charge the devices?" Danny queried.

"If I'm right then yeah, pretty much. Abby, you're a genius!" Connor bundled the equipment together and hurried outside. He set the monitor and the box in the shade and propped the panel up against the boughs. The rays of sunlight glinted off the gleaming pane.

"How do we know its working?" Abby pondered.

Danny pointed to a tiny dome near the flap Abby had found. "A light?" he suggested.

Connor poked it. It was a button! He pushed it in. The breathless anticipation that filled the air was almost tangible. As the button withdrew, a weak bead of yellow light flickered on behind the dull plastic of the dome.

"YES!" all three shouted in unison.

With tears of victory in their eyes, they high fived and hugged, unable to contain the unsurpassed elation that enfolded them like a warm embrace.

"Shall we connect the console?" Danny asked.

"I think we should do this first," Connor replied, gesturing toward the monitor. "Just in case something goes wrong, we don't want it to happen to the most important piece of equipment we need."

"Good idea," Abby said.

They left the generator alone, paranoid that they would disturb something. When Connor went to check on it two days later he called them over excitedly – the light had turned green.

"I think it's time to see how well our little friend worked," Danny proposed.

With bated breath, Danny and Abby watched as Connor unplugged the monitor and pressed the black circle in the top left corner. The screen sputtered into life, the backlight illuminating the shadows behind them.

The anvil weight lifted off Connor's shoulders instantly. It had worked! This silver contraption would save them from a life of hell in the Cretaceous.

Danny exhaled in relief. "Guys, in a few days we'll be eating junk food and shaving."

"Can't wait for that," Connor beamed. His beard had been driving him crazy.

"Finally we can go home," Abby said.

_Home_. What a wonderful word. It felt strange on her tongue, like a foreign dialect unearthed in the ruins of an ancient lost city.

"Come on, let's see what this does." Connor pushed past the boughs and sat cross-legged on the floor, resting the monitor over his knees. Abby and Danny assembled on either side of him and turned their gaze to the screen.

It had finished booting and presented a black backdrop. ERA DATABASE ran the length of the screen, with the ARC logo rotating beside it. There were a myriad of control keys along the left side and a couple of windows were displayed, one sporting a profile illustration of an _Australopithecus afarensis_ and the other listing various details about the species.

"Woah, this is cool." Connor hadn't moved his fingers along a keyboard in months, and he was itching to take advantage of this new technology.

He tapped the arrow above the image window and it flicked to the Zanclean Pliocene menu. The page catalogued many different species alive in that time period, as well as copious information on its evolution, geology and climate.

"I really could have used this a few weeks ago," Danny said. "I had no idea what animals I was dealing with. And look at this title: 'Edible matter'. I _really_ could have used _that_."

Connor opened the page. There was an option to 'add matter to database', but there was nothing listed.

"That would give us something to do," Abby laughed.

Connor grinned. He shuffled outside and connected the anomaly console to the generator, the impatience bubbling away within him; they were so close to home, he could almost taste the liberation. When he retreated inside again, Danny had the monitor propped on his knees and was adding an article to the database.

"I haven't typed in ages," Danny chortled. "I'm so slow at this now."

They spent the day writing critiques on prehistoric food. It was pointless, but entertaining nonetheless.

* * *

_And you all thought Connor would save the day? Heh heh. :P Um... you don't find out what the technology "a series of slender pull-out shafts covered with a multitude of tiny reflective holes" is, so I'll just describe it here: It's like a collapsible laser fence to deter predators, sort of like from Leek's Creature Prison._


	18. Chapter 17

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Seventeen**

**

* * *

**

The light was green.

They packed up their belongings and set off in the direction of the tree Abby and Connor had spent the first night in. They didn't really know exactly where they were going, but Connor was confident that they'd find it eventually, seeing as it was the tallest tree in the area. After a couple of hours searching, they found it. They stared up at the towering structure with its convenient fork, dividing off into long thickset branches.

Connor closed his eyes and remembered Abby's imaginary beach. They were splashing each other cheerfully as the waves flowed gently around their waists. He smiled.

They progressed to the anomaly site not too far away and paused for a rest. The future was just a click away, rampant with bloodthirsty predators just waiting to rip them to shreds; they wanted their strength up before they attempted an escape route.

"Ready?" Connor asked, brandishing the anomaly console with shaky hands.

"Ready," Abby and Danny said together.

Connor arranged the coordinates path and hovered his thumb over the button. This was it. The moment that would define the course of their lives. If it worked, they would be playing Russian Roulette for several minutes before reaching the next anomaly site and, if they survived that, onward to 2009. If it didn't work, they were doomed to join the ranks of Cutter and Stephen in the archives of ARC fatalities.

A lump formed in his throat. His stomach churned with apprehension, but at the same time he was eager for the chance of home. _If I can't make it,_ he vowed. _I at least have to get Abby through._

With that thought, he pressed his thumb down. A miasma of brilliant light burst from the end of the console and suspended in midair.

"Come on." Connor stepped into the anomaly first, wanting to clear the area of danger before the others came through.

The ruins of the future ARC were just as they'd last seen them. The dilapidated walls were blackened and furniture was strewn around chaotically. A multitude of dead wires hung from the ceiling. The shattered artefact lay in a poignant heap beside the computer frame, the shards of glass littering the floor like a million tiny diamonds.

Connor scanned the room, keeping a keen ear out for the telltale clicks of the predators' echolocation. Abby and Danny materialised behind him, so Connor aimed the console and closed the anomaly. The sudden evaporation of light threw the room into darkness. It was chillingly eerie; the place felt haunted, the knowledge of what brought on this devastation like a secretive ghost.

A pale glow spluttered into life as Danny switched on the torch; they'd saved it for if they ever made it this far. He led the way, shining the beam about vigilantly.

The team emerged into the bright sunlight unopposed. They swallowed their heart-pounding terror and made a mad dash into the open, greeted almost instantaneously by a myriad of frenetic grey figures.

A shrill buzzing exploded behind Abby. She dropped to the ground just in time to avoid a megopteran whizzing past, its pincers slicing through the air above her head. A predator launched itself at the massive insect and they slammed into a building, their screeches deafening as they fought over the prospective kill.

Connor hurried back to help Abby to her feet and they zigzagged their way through the maze of cars to Danny, who'd stopped a few metres ahead. A predator leapt down from the roof of a building and made a beeline for him.

"Danny, look out!" Connor yelled.

Danny ducked and the predator smashed through the windscreen and into the car behind him. "Strike one!" he exclaimed. The predator was struggling to get out, its huge bulk thwarting its efforts.

Connor and Abby reached him and continued along the alleyway. They could see the cliff up ahead. Only a bit further! Abby glanced behind her and saw a flash of yellow. It was the sports car Jack had driven through the anomaly and crashed when he's stolen her handheld detector. She hadn't seen Jack in so long … did he miss her? She was the only family he had left; they'd always looked out for each other as they grew up, protecting the other from the onslaughts of their abusive parents. Was she ever going to see him again, or was the remaining few seconds to the site too much to ask for?

Connor fumbled with the console and the anomaly appeared, floating on the edge of the cliff. They were so close … so close!

"Abby, behind you!" Danny warned.

Abby swerved as the creature landed, instinctively swinging out her leg. Her boot connected with the megopteran's large scarlet eye and it staggered backwards, its forelimbs waving in the air angrily. It shrieked in pain, vacating the fight to the shelter of the buildings.

"Strike two!" Abby cheered. "I ate bugs like you for breakfast!"

In her moment of distraction, a predator leapt out and seized her, dragging her backwards with huge razor-sharp claws.

"ABBY!" Connor screamed. He tackled the predator, clambering up onto its ridged back and pounding furiously with his fists. "Let her go! Let her GO!"

The predator let go of Abby and turned on Connor, hurling him against the wall. It bounded over to him and slashed at his arms and chest, tearing his jacket and shirt into bloodied pieces.

"No!" Abby withdrew the firearm she'd concealed in her jacket pocket, praying it had a charge left. With only the wrenching fear of Connor being killed clouting her mind, she pressed hard on the trigger. An orange bar crept along near her finger, and at full capacity she released it.

A blinding white light filled the district and the explosion thundered around them, sending debris flying through the air. The predator emitted a ghastly shriek as its body convulsed violently. Waves of electricity surged through it and it writhed for several seconds before collapsing, dead, the gaping charred hole in its back smouldering slightly.

Abby scrambled over to Connor. Deep lacerations covered his chest and the crimson pool around him was growing by the second.

He wasn't moving.

* * *

_Dun dun duuun._

_I had so much difficulty deciding where to end this chapter. I had several cliffhangers to choose from, but figured if I chose the most dramatic one (next chap) you guys would eat me alive. So I ended it here, and its a bit of a short chapter. Heh heh heh. Suspensy :D  
_


	19. Chapter 18

:¨·.·¨:  
`·.. **Chapter Eighteen**

**

* * *

**

Danny gathered Connor in his arms and they sprinted toward the anomaly. The fear was wrenching at Abby's heart, constricting in anguish as she watched Connor's head bob lifelessly with every step Danny took. He couldn't die. Not now.

They burst through the anomaly, skidding along the floor of the racetrack garage. Abby should've been ecstatic that they'd finally made it home, but all she could see was Connor's drained face. She stripped off her jacket and pushed it against his chest, desperately trying to stop the steady flow of blood. Danny did the same, placing pressure on the wounds and cursing under his breath.

The sound of a heavy body hitting the concrete echoed around the garage. Abby spun around to see a predator stalking toward them. She couldn't let it get to Connor.

"Hey!" she yelled, running away from Danny and Connor. She waved her arms and stomped her feet, diverting the creature's attention. The predator turned on her and chased her into the annex. She grabbed a chair and threw it as hard as she could. It collided with the predator's head and clanked to the ground.

She glanced out of the annex's window. Danny was wrapping clothes around Connor frantically, but she could see the red still seeping through. As soon as the predator was finished with her, it would turn on them and finish the job. She'd dropped the firearm when she'd rushed over to Connor, and he'd lost the console when he'd been hurled against the wall. Keeping her eyes on the predator, her hand groped blindly for something else to throw. Her fingers touched something that made her heart pound hopefully – a heavy piece of shrapnel. She tossed it upwards and it connected with the lights on the roof. The glass shattered around them, bouncing the predator's sonar back onto it. Abby took the opportunity to slip past it, slamming the door to the annex shut. A second later the predator bashed against the door, splintering the wood and smashing its way through. She pushed against the door with as much force as she could manage.

"Hurry up, guys!" Abby hissed. Surely the detector siren would have alerted the ARC by now?

The door burst open and she fell backward. The predator exploded from the annex and loomed over her, its ugly face just centimetres away from hers. She kicked at it, but she was exhausted and sprawled on her back, making it a clumsy hit. She braced herself for the glinting claws to rip her into shreds. All three of them had come so far, survived every odd, and now it was all over. _Connor, I'm sorry_, she thought, the tears pouring down her cheeks.

Suddenly the violent clatter of gunfire erupted around them, and it sounded like music to Abby's ears. The predator reared back, the bullets perforating its tough hide. It shrieked angrily and struggled forward, but the barrage struck it down and it crumpled in a dying heap, its snarls of rage ebbing.

She turned to see who her rescuer was. Her heart swelled with joy when she saw the familiar face of Becker staring down at her. "Connor," she gasped. "Help him!"

He nodded and disappeared. Someone else was above her, her long black hair falling over her shoulders and her brown eyes wide in amazement. "Abby!" Sarah exclaimed, helping her to her feet and wrapping her in a warm embrace. "You're alive!"

"Connor," she repeated. She removed herself from Sarah and dashed over to the forming crowd. She shoved two soldiers out of the way and fell to her knees beside Connor. "Call an ambulance!" she screamed.

"We have," someone said, a man she'd never seen before. "They're on the way. Becker's gone to get the emergency kit." He crouched beside her. "Hi, I'm Matt. You must be Abby."

"I don't care who you are!" she shouted.

Becker arrived with the kit and a couple of soldiers began working on Connor. "Lock the anomaly, Jess!" he ordered.

An auburn-haired woman scurried over to where the appliances had been positioned and tapped away at the laptop. The machines hummed and shot out a stream of electricity; the glittering diamonds retreated and the anomaly recoiled into a smooth, harmless sphere.

Abby could hear the distant whine of the siren. Danny was helping the soldiers swathe Connor in bandages. The ground was stained crimson. There was so much blood … Connor's blood. Everywhere.

Her vision blurred, the queasiness threatening to engulf her. She stood up, fighting the urge to be sick. She stumbled into a soldier, but when he tried to support her she thrust herself past him, staggering outside. Something was flashing red and blue. Gentle hands reached for her, leading her toward the ambulance. A paramedic was saying something, but she couldn't understand them. She didn't care. Connor was dead. After everything they'd suffered together, after making it this far, he'd sacrificed his life for her. He was the most selfless person she'd ever known … her best friend, her soulmate … and he was gone.

xxx

"Abby? How are you feeling?" Danny leant over the bed and brushed a lock of blonde hair from her face.

Abby stared up at Danny, her eyes stretching wide with horror as she remembered what had happened. "Connor!" she sobbed, the word catching in her throat. The tears fell swiftly. She couldn't breathe. "Connor."

"Shhh." Danny grasped her hand. "Look to your right."

Abby obeyed. Connor was in the bed beside her, various tubes snaking around him. A machine beeped nearby, and an intravenous bag hung from a frame, pumping vital fluids into him. His skin was ghostly pale and he was unconscious.

"Connor!" she said again, relief flooding through her. He was alive! She fought against the sheets, struggling to get over to him, but she felt heavy, sluggish.

"Calm down, Abby," Danny beseeched. "You've been sedated and need your rest. Connor should be fine. They've given him blood transfusions and it was touch and go for a while, but his condition is stable now."

Abby slumped back against the white linen. Connor was alive; that's all that mattered. She closed her eyes and succumbed to the narcotics.

xxx

After a week Connor was released from the hospital with strict instructions to take it easy. Since Abby had improved, she'd been living at his beside, helping him with everyday tasks and badgering the nurses for his health status.

When they'd vanished months ago, Becker and his squadron had stormed the future, blazing all hell as they searched for the missing team members. After the anomaly closed they'd had to admit defeat, and Lester employed Matt and Jess in their place. Sarah had demanded that they accommodate their flats, insisting they'd come back eventually, and the ARC personnel had pitched in to maintain their rent, although Lester had issued a six month limit. Rex, Sid and Nancy had been placed in the holding pens, but when an anomaly to the Permian opened a month after their disappearance, none of the team had had the heart to return them. Becker had blamed himself, and lived with their demise weighing on his conscience.

Danny, Connor and Abby had been given leave while they recovered, but were eager to catch up on what they'd missed while they'd been stranded in the past. On the eighth day since their homecoming, they arrived at the ARC for the first time in over three months.

Multicoloured streamers draped across the railings and most of the furniture was smothered in balloons. A huge banner hung from the second storey, bearing 'WELCOME HOME' in tall navy letters. Sarah raced up to them as they entered, adorned in a glittery pink party hat.

"It's so good to see you guys," she exclaimed, her face plastered with delight. "I knew you'd come back." She hugged each of them in turn.

"You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," Abby said, touched by the effort she'd gone to.

"I thought a celebration was in order," Sarah explained.

"Lester will be having a fit," Connor laughed.

"Speaking of Lester," Danny chuckled.

Lester sauntered over to them. "I must congratulate you on your survival," he stated. "And I'm sure there is a perfectly logical reason as to why you three were so reckless as to go through a future anomaly unguarded and jeopardise this entire operation."

"Actually there is," Connor piped up. Lester raised an eyebrow. "Helen went to the Rift Valley in Africa four million years ago to try and wipe out the human race … we stopped her," he added proudly.

"Well obviously," Lester grunted. "I shouldn't be too surprised, though. It would be unlike Helen not to do something so utterly callous. I expect a full report from each of you on my desk by tomorrow afternoon." He turned to Danny. "Any idea on her whereabouts, Quinn?"

"Helen's dead," Danny reported.

"Ah, excellent." Lester couldn't hide his grin. "So I expect we'll be seeing no more of that rather unpleasant character, then?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Danny replied. "She had access to future technology and will probably be making a regular appearance in the future. If we do see her, we shouldn't give any indication that she's died, otherwise she might … ensure she doesn't."

Lester sighed. "I guess it's too much to ask for a bit of peace every now and then."

Two petite shapes hurtled toward them on short stumpy legs, wagging their mottled brown tails like weird-looking dogs. One of them crashed into Connor's ankle, and the other began jumping around Abby's legs elatedly.

"Sid! Nancy!" Connor exclaimed, crouching down to stroke them.

A green lizard circled above them, chirruping noisily. He landed on Abby's shoulder and nudged at her ear. "Rex!" she smiled, scratching the base of his head crest.

They hugged their prehistoric pets, the mirth evident as they laughed. After a couple of minutes the reunion ended; the two diictodons scampered away to wreak havoc elsewhere, and the coelurosauravus flew off to perch on the beams overlooking the area.

"As you can see, no peace here," Lester said dryly. "Animals in the ARC. I don't know how I put up with it." He tutted.

Becker came up beside them sporting a glossy blue party hat Sarah had forced him to wear. Abby and Connor exchanged hushed giggles, but Danny was blunter. "Nice hat, Soldier Boy."

"Don't call me Soldier Boy, Quinn," Becker retorted. He snatched up a hat lying abandoned on a desk and strapped it on Danny's head.

Lester sighed again, slightly more dramatically.

"Come on, Lester." Danny found another hat and brandished it at him.

"Oh please," Lester said sarcastically. "I will not stoop to the level of child's fun. I have too much work to do." He walked away.

"Same old Lester," Connor snickered. It felt good to be back, surrounded by friends.

"Oh, guess what!" Danny piped up.

"What?" Sarah and Becker asked in unison.

Danny wrapped his arms around Connor and Abby and pulled them in together. "These two are _finally_ together. I never thought in a million years they'd admit it, and I was right. It only took seventy-five million."

Connor and Abby both flushed bright red.

Sarah clapped excitedly. "It's about time! Everyone could see you were made for each other, except for you!" She waved Jess over and whispered something in her ear. Jess nodded and darted away.

"What's she doing?" Connor said anxiously.

The lights in the main operations room dimmed and music blared over the loudspeaker. Connor's blush deepened.

Danny nudged him. "Go on," he hissed.

Connor turned to Abby. "May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out his hand. She smiled and took it.

"Aw, that's so sweet," Sarah cooed to Danny and Becker.

Danny raised an eyebrow at Becker. Becker narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Danny thumped him.

"Okay, okay, Quinn," Becker muttered. "Sarah, m-"

"I thought you'd never ask," Sarah interrupted, whisking him away into the centre of the room.

Abby nestled her head against Connor's shoulder and closed her eyes. Her hands were warm in his as they danced slowly to the music. He couldn't believe Abby was actually in his arms, and his heart constricted with the sudden fear that she'd reject him now that he wasn't the only man on earth. He opened his mouth, fumbling to find the right words.

"Before you say it, Connor," Abby murmured unexpectedly, "_don't_ say it. I still love you."

Tears pricked at his eyes. It was perfect.

"I love you too, Abby," he whispered.

* * *

_Yay! Extra long chapter finale for my fans and some cutesie fluff to end it :) :) :)  
_

_I know Sarah's supposed to have left but I refuse to acknowledge that. There's only one thing I hate about Primeval and thats the constant character change!  
_

_So the story's finished ... rather sad thought, that ... :/ I'll have to start a new project :D A big big big big big thank you to all my reviewers and fans! I love you guys XD If you haven't reviewed the story yet, please do so! It's been several long weeks on this and its finally done, I'd appreciate some acknowledgement at the very end! Just a final comment, saying what you thought about it :D Please? :) Lurkers can show some love, yes? ;)_

_Another big thank you to everyone! You made it so much easier to get up in the morning when I knew my phone was flashing with FF emails XD Also, if you haven't checked out my Claudia Brown one-shot and you're interested in a theory as to why she disappeared, that's been posted. :)_

_xx_

Edit PS: I just discovered Lucy Brown's been reported to be returning in series four. YAAAY._  
_


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